UN Security Council to meet on Saturday on Iran conflict

The United Nations Security Council will meet on Saturday after the United States and Israel launched strikes on Iran, plunging the Middle East into a new conflict.

UN diplomats said the 15-member body would meet at 4pm in New York (2100 GMT). The meeting will be chaired by Britain, which holds the monthly council presidency.

Russia’s UN mission said Russia and China requested an emergency meeting “in connection with the unprovoked act of armed aggression by the United States and Israel against the Islamic Republic of Iran”.

It said the meeting was also called for by France, Bahrain, and Colombia.

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“During the Security Council meeting, we will demand from the United States and Israel to immediately cease their illegal and escalatory actions and embark on a path toward a political and diplomatic settlement,” the Russian statement said.

A UN diplomat said UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres plans to speak at the Security Council session.

Earlier, Guterres issued a statement condemning military escalation in the Middle East and saying that the “use of force by the United States and Israel against Iran, and the subsequent retaliation by Iran across the region, undermine international peace and security.”

“I call for an immediate cessation of hostilities and de-escalation. Failing to do so risks a wider regional conflict with grave consequences for civilians and regional stability. I strongly encourage all parties to return immediately to the negotiating table,” Guterres said.

UN Human Rights chief Volker Turk also condemned the strikes.

“As always, in any armed conflict, it is civilians who end up paying the ultimate price,” he said.

Macron on UNSC meeting

Earlier, French President Emmanuel Macron also called for an urgent meeting of the United Nations Security Council, saying the outbreak of a war between the US, Israel and Iran has “serious consequences” for international peace and security.

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Macron spoke separately with leaders of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Jordan and the president of the autonomous region of Kurdistan, his office said.

France was ready to deploy the necessary resources to protect its closest partners at their request, Macron said on X.

“The current escalation is dangerous for everyone. It must stop. The Iranian regime must understand that it now has no other option but to engage in good-faith negotiations to end its nuclear and ballistic missile programmes, as well as its actions to destabilise the region,” Macron said.

“This is absolutely essential for the security of everyone in the Middle East,” he added.

“The Iranian people must also be able to build their future freely. The massacres perpetrated by the Islamic regime discredit it and necessitate that the people be given a voice. The sooner the better.”

The US and Israel launched strikes on Iran today, plunging the Middle East into a new conflict that President Donald Trump said would end a security threat to the US and offer Iranians a chance to topple their rulers.