Iran has stated that it will use its inherent right to respond proportionately to the US if the US initiates a military operation against its citizens or security interests in the region. Iran’s permanent representative to the UN, Amir Saeid Iravani, stated that the attack on Israel was precise, targeting military objectives and minimizing potential escalation. Iran launched dozens of drones and missiles in retaliation against an Israeli strike on its Damascus consulate, which killed seven revolutionary guards.
Israel’s permanent representative to the UN, Gilad Erdan, called for the Security Council to condemn Iran and designate the IRGC as a terrorist organization. Iran stated that the attack was in line with Article 51 of the UN Charter, which invokes the right of individual or collective self-defense if an armed attack occurs against a Member of the United Nations. US ambassador Robert Wood warned that Iran would be held responsible if it or its proxies take actions against the US or further action against Israel. Wood condemned Iran’s actions, stating that it posed a threat to populations in Israel and other UN member states in the region.
Wood accused Iran of being complicit in the October 7 attack on Israel, having provided significant funding and training for Hamas. The US will explore additional measures to hold Iran accountable at the UN and call on the Security Council to condemn Iran’s actions and call for it and its partners and proxies to cease their attacks. Israel’s Gilad Erdan compared Iran Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei to Hitler, comparing Iran’s plot to impose global Shiite hegemony through its proxies to the actions of Saudi Arabia and the Aramco oil field in the UAE.
Erdan warned that Tehran was barrelling towards nuclear capabilities, has enriched uranium up to 60% purity, and its breakout time to produce nuclear weapons is now mere weeks away. He called for sanctions on Iran before it is too late and warned that Israel’s actions crossed every red line and that the entire world, including Israel, cannot settle for inaction. Russia’s Vasily Nebenzia accused the UN Security Council of hypocrisy and double standards over its failure to convene similarly following Israel’s attack on the Iranian consulate in Damascus.
The Russian envoy warned that if the council’s inaction on the Gaza conflict continues, appeals to restraint by all parties may become futile. China’s deputy permanent representative Dai Bing noted Iran’s military action was in response to Israel’s aggression and that the matter can be deemed concluded. If the Gaza conflict continues, the adverse spillover is set to spread further, making the region even more unstable.
Algeria’s deputy permanent representative Nacim Gaouaoui emphasized that recent developments cannot overrule the central question of the aggression on the Palestinian people in Gaza and cannot be used as a pretext to launch a land attack against Rafah. Slovenia condemned the events and urged all parties to choose the path of dialog and diplomacy and refrain from further retaliations. Malta’s UN ambassador Vanessa Frazier warns that the Middle East is currently experiencing a volatile and bleak period, which could potentially spiral out of control if not addressed.
The UN has called for an immediate ceasefire to the Gaza war, the release of all hostages, and the provision of sustained humanitarian aid. Sierra Leone’s UN ambassador, Michael Imran Kanu, warned of the dangerous and unprecedented escalating tensions in the Middle East, which could destabilize the region and impact global peace and security.
The UK’s permanent representative to the UN, Barbara Woodward, condemned Iran’s attack on Israel and accused Tehran of sowing chaos in the region. France’s deputy permanent representative, Nathalie Broadhurst, said Iran was crossing a new threshold in its destabilizing actions and was risking a military escalation for which it would be responsible.
