The military action that has embroiled countries across the Middle East, continued the UN chief, carries the risk of \u201cigniting a chain of events that no one can control in the most volatile region of the world.\u201d<\/p>\n
![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/image1024x768.jpg\" "\\"Diplomats")
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Diplomats gather at the UN Security Council to discuss the fast-evolving crisis in Iran and the whole Middle East region.<\/p>\n
\u2018Return to the negotiating table\u2019<\/p>\n
The Secretary-General reiterated that lasting peace can only be achieved through peaceful means, including genuine dialogue and negotiations, and noted that the joint military operation by Israel and the United States occurred following indirect talks between the US and Iran mediated by Oman, \u201csquandering\u201d an opportunity for diplomacy.<\/p>\n
Calling for de-escalation and an immediate cessation of hostilities, Mr. Guterres strongly urged all parties to return immediately to the negotiating table, notably on the future of Iran\u2019s nuclear programme.<\/p>\n
\u201cI call on all Member States to strictly uphold their obligations under international law, including the UN Charter, to respect and protect civilians in accordance with international humanitarian law, and to ensure nuclear safety,\u201d he declared.<\/p>\n
France: \u2018We need Iran to respect its international obligations\u2019<\/p>\n
J\u00e9r\u00f4me Bonnafont of France called for Iran to respect its international obligations, stressing that adherence to international law is \u201ca condition for long-term security in the region and world.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Ambassador Bonnafont said that Iran has not taken the opportunity to conclude a nuclear agreement but has instead reduced its cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA<\/a>).<\/p>\n Russia: \u2018Another unprovoked act of armed aggression\u2019<\/p>\n Russian Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia said that the US-Israeli strikes were \u201cyet another unprovoked act of armed aggression against a sovereign and independent Member State, in violation of the UN Charter and international law.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n This \u201creckless step,\u201d he said, has led to a sharp escalation across the region, which he described as a \u201cbetrayal of diplomacy\u201d.<\/p>\n China: Territorial integrity of Iran \u2018must be respected\u2019<\/p>\n China\u2019s Ambassador Fu Cong described the US-Israeli strikes as \u201cbrazen\u201d, condemning the threat of force to settle any international dispute \u2013 and calling for the \u201csovereignty, security, and territorial integrity of Iran and other regional countries to be respected.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n Expressing sadness at the large loss of civilian life during Saturday\u2019s strikes, Ambassador Fu called on all parties to fulfil their obligations under international law and an immediate cessation of military action.<\/p>\n He said it was \u201cshocking\u201d that the US-Israeli attacks had come in the middle of diplomatic negotiations between the US and Iran.<\/p>\n Ambassador Mike Waltz of the United States addresses the Security Council meeting on Iran and the Middle East.<\/p>\n United States: ‘Persistent aggression’ could not be ignored<\/p>\n Ambassador Mike Waltz of the United States said that the strikes on Iran were directed towards dismantling its ballistic missile capabilities, degrading naval assets being used to destabilise international waters and disrupt the machinery that arms proxy militias.\u00a0<\/p>\n The aim, he continued, is to ensure that \u201cthe Iranian regime can never, ever threaten the world with a nuclear weapon.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo responsible nation can ignore persistent aggression and violence.\u201d he warned, adding that Iran’s continued pursuit of advanced missile capabilities, coupled with its refusal to abandon nuclear ambitions \u2013 despite diplomatic opportunities \u2013 represents \u201ca grave and mounting danger\u201d.\u00a0<\/p>\n UK: Regional stability ‘a priority\u2019<\/p>\n “This is a fragile moment for the Middle East,” said\u00a0Ambassador James Kariuki of the United Kingdom, Council President for February. “Regional stability remains a priority,\u201d he said, adding that UK forces are active and its planes are in the sky as part of “coordinated regional defensive operations”, in line with international law.<\/p>\n “We want to see the swiftest possible resolution that ensures security and stability for the region,\u201d he continued, urging Iran to refrain from further strikes and its \u201cappalling\u201d behaviour to allow a path back to diplomacy.<\/p>\n Iran\u2019s Ambassador Amir Saeid Iravani address the Security Council.<\/p>\n Iran: Strikes ‘devoid of legal foundation’<\/p>\n \u201cThis morning, the United States regime – jointly and in coordination with the Israeli regime – initiated an unprovoked and premeditated aggression against the Islamic Republic of Iran for the second time in recent months,\u201d said Iran\u2019s Ambassador Amir Saeid Iravani.<\/p>\n \u201cThis is not only an act of aggression; it is a war crime and a crime against humanity,\u201d he insisted, accusing the US and Israel of deliberately attacking civilian populated areas in multiple large cities.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cThe invocation to \u2018pre-emptive attack,\u2019 claims of imminent threat, or other unsubstantiated political claims, are unfounded legally, morally and politically,\u201d Mr. Iravani continued, categorically rejecting the assertions made by the representatives of France, the UK and other Western representatives regarding Iran\u2019s peaceful nuclear programme.<\/p>\n Israel: Attacks \u2018an act of necessity\u2019<\/p>\n Israel\u2019s strikes on Iran, said Ambassador Danny Danon, took place to stop \u201can existential threat before it became irreversible.”<\/p>\n His country had acted out of necessity because the regime left no reasonable alternative, building nuclear weapons in disregard for international law, murdering its own citizens and crushing dissent, expanding missile arsenals and arming proxies across the region \u2013 all while declaring its intention to erase Israel from the map.<\/p>\n Ambassador Danon said Tehran had been required to stop enriching uranium and to allow full inspections but did not do so.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cThey were building the means to force an irreversible reality with our backs against the wall. That is not a future Israel will accept.\u201d<\/p>\n Catch up with all of Saturday\u2019s main events inside the chamber and beyond from our UN News and Meetings Coverage<\/a> team, here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Ant\u00f3nio Guterres described the day\u2019s events as a grave threat to international peace and security, urging the international…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":315670,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[42,43,40,38,41,39],"class_list":["post-315669","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-headlines","tag-headlines","tag-news","tag-top-news","tag-top-stories","tag-topnews","tag-topstories"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/315669","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=315669"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/315669\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/315670"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=315669"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=315669"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=315669"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/1772334067_60_image1024x768.jpg\" "\\"Ambassador")
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