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UN meeting under way
An emergency Security Council meeting on Israel’s attacks on Iran is happening now at UN headquarters in New York.
Here we go with the weak statements
UK urges de-escalation at UNSC session amid rising tensions
The United Kingdom’s UN envoy has called for calm as tensions escalated between Israel and Iran.
“We have urged both sides to show restraint and de-escalate tensions. We continue to engage partners across the region to ensure we are collectively doing our utmost to push for a peaceful outcome,” Barbara Woodward added.
She said the UK had spoken at the highest levels to both Israeli and Iranian officials and reaffirmed its commitment to preventing further conflict.
“The UK, in partnership with the E3, has always championed a diplomatic solution to address Iran’s nuclear escalation, which has no credible civilian justification,” Woodward added.
78 people have been killed in Israel’s attacks on Iran: UN Ambassador
Amir Saeid Iravani says so far, 78 people, including senior military officials, have been killed by Israel’s attacks in Iran, and over 320 others have been injured.
The overwhelming majority of them are civilians, including women and children, he told the ongoing UNSC session.
Israel’s UN envoy says country ‘acted to prevent its destruction’
Danny Danon has framed the deadly Israeli attacks on Iran, which have plunged the Middle East into a dangerous escalation, as a response to years of anti-Israel rhetoric by Iranian leaders.
“This is not only defining moment for Israel, it is a defining moment for the global security order and the credibility of the international system,” the Israeli envoy told the Security Council.
Danon said Israel’s strikes aimed to “dismantle Iran’s nuclear programme” as well as “neutralise the regime’s ability to follow through on its repeated public promise to destroy the State of Israel”.
Iran’s response to Israel will be ‘firm, lawful’ to restore deterrence: Iran’s UN ambassador
Here is a summary of Amir Saeid Iravani’s main points at the UNSC session:
- Last night, Israel – with full intelligence and political support from the US – conducted a series of coordinated and premeditated military attacks across multiple sites in Iran.
- Iran “strongly and unequivocally” condemns the “barbaric and criminal attack” and the targeted assassinations of senior military officials, nuclear scientists and innocent civilians.
- These “deliberate and systematic killings” were not only “illegal, but inhuman”.
- These actions contravene numerous international legal instruments, including the IAEA Statute and the Geneva Convention.
- Iran affirms its inherent right to self-defence, as enshrined in Article 51 of the UN Charter.
- Iran will respond “decisively and proportionately to this act of aggression at a time, in a place and by means of its choosing. This is not a threat. This is a natural consequence of an unprovoked military attack”.
- “Iran’s response will be firm, lawful and essential to restore deterrence, defend our sovereignty and uphold the principles of international law.”
