United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres condemned recent U.S. and Israeli airstrikes on Iran during an emergency meeting of the United Nations Security Council, urging all parties to halt hostilities and return to diplomatic negotiations to prevent the conflict from widening.
Guterres told council members that the military escalation and retaliatory strikes undermine international peace and security and called for immediate de-escalation. He stressed that the use of force by any state must comply with the U.N. Charter and international law, and that the current violence threatens civilians across the Middle East and beyond.
The emergency session followed a series of coordinated strikes by U.S. and Israeli forces against targets in Iran, which Tehran and its allies described as violations of sovereignty. Iranian Ambassador Amir Saeid Iravani accused the U.S. and Israel of “war crimes” and said the attacks have caused significant civilian casualties, while the U.S. and Israeli representatives defended their actions as lawful measures to counter perceived security threats.
Council members expressed deep divisions over the crisis. Russia and China condemned the U.S.-Israeli strikes and called for an immediate halt to military operations and a return to dialogue, while Western European nations backed diplomatic negotiations and emphasized the protection of civilians.
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The conflict has drawn widespread international concern, with leaders calling for restraint and adherence to international law as tensions remain high across the region
