Ambassador Mike Waltz
U.S. Representative to the United Nations
New York, New York

AS DELIVERED

Colleagues, as we woke this morning, civilians, families, children were trapped sheltering in bunkers all over the Middle East. They were wondering if the only thing they could count on today were more missiles and more drones from the Iranian regime. They could not be certain whether they would have the support of the international community, they couldn’t be certain if they would have the support of the United Nations Security Council, which frankly in years past has failed to speak out about Iran’s consistent and grotesque violations of international law.

Well, to the people under the barrage and the constant bombardment of the Iranian regime: the UN Security Council stands with you, 135 countries stand with you. We uniformly condemn Iran’s indiscriminate attacks on civilians.

Today, you’ve heard, and you will continue to hear lies as you always have from the representative from Iran and their friends on the Council. This time claiming that all of their strikes have been against U.S. military bases or various types of military installations. But here’s the hard truth. Here’s what they don’t want you to hear. And this is common sense, colleagues.

The Fairmont Hotel in Dubai – that’s not a military base or installation. That’s why dozens and dozens of tourists have fled as it was set on fire. Tourists from the United Kingdom, from Liverpool, from other countries. All trying to vacation there, do business there.

The civilian airport in Dubai, a global hub of commerce and tourism, also coming under fire. That’s not a military installation.

At 90 years old, Bahrain’s only oil refinery – that’s not a military target.

Qatar’s natural gas facilities that power the economies of the world – those weren’t military targets.

Even Oman, who, until recently, was trying to find a diplomatic solution. It’s been hit too. Its ports are not military targets.

The cargo ships that are being attacked and set aflame, many of them carrying food and other supplies around the world – one of them from Thailand – those aren’t military targets.

So, look, these attacks were so brutal and so indiscriminate as Iran shoots in all directions that nations that previously had serious disagreements have now joined together. They’ve now spoken as one voice.

Iran’s strategy of sowing chaos, of trying to hold their neighbors hostage, trying to shape the resolve of the region has clearly backfired, and that was shown by this vote today.

The Kingdom of Bahrain – itself a victim of these attacks – drafted this resolution, led the negotiations on this resolution. Our allies and partners from across the region, Jordan, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, and the United Arab Emirates supported it, as well as a UN Security Council record number of co-sponsors, 135 – and we read every one of them today so that the entire world could hear it. This is exactly what the United Nations should be about.

Today’s action is a direct and unequivocal statement from the Gulf countries condemning the brutality of the Iranian regime, whose practice of targeting civilians and civilian infrastructure is reprehensible, and the entire world is calling it out for what it is.

Iran is indiscriminately attacking innocent families and civilians living in countries spanning Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman, Cyprus, Azerbaijan, Jordan, Iraq, and Turkey. All have felt the consequences of Iran’s missiles, drones, and attacks.

This Council and the international community must speak plainly and be honest with the world about Iran’s long history of undermining international peace and security. And for decades – and we all know this – Iran has supported terrorist violence against civilians around the world, and as we all just saw in recent months, massacred its own people.

In order to maintain its iron grip on power, the Iranian regime exported instability abroad, turning neighbors like Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Yemen, and Gaza into battle grounds, and leaving them no hope of peace or prosperity.

Earlier today, in this Council, I challenged any one of you, anyone in the world, to show me a country that is better off because of Iran’s intervention and instability.

This is why the UN has voted in resolution after resolution that the Iranian regime must never and can never have a nuclear weapon.

And by constantly refusing to comply with international safeguards that all of our countries support, Iran’s nuclear program was barreling towards a nuclear disaster. The IAEA made clear that there was no reason to have nearly 1000 pounds of 60 percent highly enriched uranium unless you wanted to build a nuclear bomb.

And no one in this Chamber can be surprised by Iran’s promise of death to Israel, death to America – and with nuclear weapons – death to the world.

And at an emergency meeting in January, not long ago, we raised the Islamic Republic of Iran’s decades old campaign of repression, subjecting its young and old alike to violence, torture and censorship.

Colleagues, the Iranian regime’s abuses are a stain for all who tolerate it, drawn from the blood of their victims.

President Trump and his team exhausted every attempt at diplomatic negotiations. He sought peace and to end 47 years of hostility and attacks, while Iran only sought more missiles, more drones, and a pathway to nuclear Armageddon. President Trump has drawn his red line here. Iran crossed it once again, and now the world is facing the consequences.

And these consequences that the United States does not bring alone. We are grateful to our partners in Bahrain who have bravely pushed this resolution forward. We are grateful to the 135 countries that co-sponsored it. And we will never hesitate to hold the Iranian regime to account for its continuing threats to international peace and security.

I thank you.

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