The United Nations Security Council will hold an emergency open briefing followed by closed consultations to address the ongoing Iran Israel conflict. Israel’s strikes on Iranian nuclear and military sites and Iran’s retaliatory missile attacks has entered it’s 8th day with no de-escalation in sight. The meeting, requested by Iran and supported by China, Russia, and Pakistan, will be a round table conversation aimed at scaling tensions down and potentially avoiding an even bigger fallout.
On 13th of June, Israel attacked Iranian nuclear sites like the Natanz nuclear enrichment facility killing 9 scientists and causing widespread damage. Iran condemned the strikes and labelled them a declaration of war thereby invoking its right to self defense under Article 51 of the UN Charter. This set up a chain of reaction, Iran’s retaliatory heavy shelling on Tel Aviv, essentially bypassing Israel’s vaunted air defence. Israel’s defence on attacking first banked on intelligence reports that proclaimed Iran could produce nuclear weapons imminently.
Expectations for the UN Security Council’s emergency are looking bleak. UN Under Secretary General Rosemary DiCarlo and IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi will likely be briefing the meeting. The Council is expected to hear calls for renewed diplomacy to address Iran’s nuclear program. The IAEA or the International Atomic Energy Agency is an international organization that promotes the peaceful use of nuclear energy and advocates against its use as nuclear weapons. The IAEA has warned the world leaders several times about nuclear safety and has revealed that damage to Iran’s centrifuge facilities poses the risk of hazardous leaks. Security general António Guterres has called for ‘maximum restraint’ from both nations, warning of global consequences.
Consensus seems unlikely with US signaling support for Israel. President Trump while denying direct involvement, has expressed anti Iran sentiment on his social media app truth social with calls of Iran’s ‘unconditional surrender’ and his belief in Iran’s covert nuclear agenda. Iran has been warned against targeting American interests. Russia and China are expected to condemn Israel’s actions as violations of sovereignty. Fears of US using it’s veto power are rampant on social media.
