Iran’s attack on Israel prompted an emergency meeting of the United Nations Security Council amid fears of escalating conflict in the Middle East. Israel requested the meeting on Sunday, April 14. The U.S. warned the Security Council it would work to hold Tehran accountable at the U.N. The Security Council provides a unique setting where conflicting parties can directly engage and share the same space.
The U.N. secretary-general, António Guterres, said it was “time to step back from the brink” and called for the United Nations to actively engage with all parties to prevent further escalation in the region.
Guterres stated that Israel called for the emergency session after Iran launched over 200 UAVs, cruise missiles and ballistic missiles at Israel, which it described as a clear violation of international law.
Ambassadors from both Israel and Iran attended the meeting. Israeli Ambassador Gilad Erdan urged the council to issue “crippling” sanctions against Iran, accusing the country of crossing “every red line.” Iran’s ambassador defended Iran’s actions, stating Iran had the right to defend itself following a deadly strike on its embassy in Syria.
“Last night the world witnessed an unprecedented escalation that is clear proof of what can happen when warnings are ignored,” Erdan said. “[Israel] was not crying wolf; it was trying to wake the world up to the dangers posed by Iran and its proxies.”
“Israel has been sounding the alarm bells,” Erdan added.
Both the Iranian official and the U.S. representative at the U.N. stated they do not seek war but would respond to attacks on their interests.
“Iran’s operation was entirely in the exercise of Iran’s inherent right to self-defense. This concluded action was necessary and proportionate. It was precise and only targeted military objectives and carried out carefully to minimize the potential for escalation and prevent civilian harm,” Ambassador Amir Saed Iravani said.
Syrian Ambassador Koussay Aldahhak said that Syria holds the U.S. administration and Israel responsible for any further attacks and escalation in the region.
“They must reconsider their destructive polices in our region and against our peoples; they must rectify their activities in the region,” Aldahhak said. “Our region has suffered enough.”
