June 23 – Cheetah Times – An emergency session of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) has laid bare deep divisions over the recent U.S.-led airstrikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities, as global powers clashed over the legality, fallout, and path forward.
UN Security Council in Turmoil Over US-Israel Strikes on Iran
Russia, China, and Pakistan tabled a draft resolution urging an “immediate and unconditional ceasefire” in the Middle East. Although the resolution does not name the United States or Israel, it implicitly condemns the bombing of Iranian nuclear sites. Diplomats say a vote has yet to be scheduled, and the U.S. is expected to block it.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres issued a dire warning during the session, saying, “The bombing of Iranian nuclear facilities by the United States marks a perilous turn in a region that is already reeling. We now risk descending into a rathole of retaliation after retaliation.”
He emphasized the need to “act – immediately and decisively – to halt the fighting and return to serious, sustained negotiations on the Iran nuclear programme.”
The strikes, announced by President Donald Trump as having “obliterated” key Iranian sites, mark the most significant military action against Tehran since the 1979 revolution. Iran requested the UNSC meeting, calling the attack a “blatant and unlawful act of aggression.”
US, Israel Stand Firm
Acting U.S. Ambassador Dorothy Shea defended the strikes, stating: “The time finally came for the United States, in defence of its ally and our own interests, to act decisively.” She warned, “Any Iranian attack, direct or indirect, against Americans or American bases will be met with devastating retaliation.”
Israel’s Ambassador Danny Danon echoed the U.S. position, saying the operation made the world “a safer place.” When asked if Tel Aviv supports regime change in Iran, he responded, “That’s for the Iranian people to decide, not for us.”
Iran, Russia, China, and Pakistan Push Back
Iran’s UN envoy Ali Bahreini argued that the strikes did not occur in isolation but were the result of years of hostile political moves. He accused the U.S. of sabotaging diplomacy and warned that Iran’s military will decide on the “timing, nature and scale” of its response.
China’s Ambassador Fu Cong stressed, “We call for an immediate ceasefire… China is deeply concerned about the risk of the situation getting out of control.”
Russia’s UN envoy Vasily Nebenzya criticized Washington’s approach, saying, “The US has opened a Pandora’s box… No one knows what catastrophe or suffering will follow.”
Pakistan’s Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad added his country’s voice to the chorus of condemnation, calling the strikes “profoundly disturbing.” He affirmed Islamabad’s solidarity with Tehran, despite Pakistan recently floating a Nobel Peace Prize nomination for President Trump.
IAEA Reports Damage, Radiation Levels Stable
Rafael Grossi, head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), confirmed visible craters at Fordow and damage to tunnel entrances at Isfahan and Natanz nuclear sites. However, he said, “No one – including the IAEA – is in a position to assess the underground damage.”
Iran, for its part, has accused Grossi and the IAEA of indirectly enabling the strikes through recent resolutions criticizing Tehran’s non-compliance.
As of now, no timeline has been given for a Security Council vote on the ceasefire resolution. With veto power in play, particularly from the United States, diplomatic efforts remain on a knife-edge.