The UN Security Council convened an emergency session Sunday amid escalating Middle East tensions following U.S. airstrikes on Iranian nuclear facilities. China and Russia led calls for an immediate ceasefire, with Beijing warning of "spiraling escalation" while Moscow drew parallels to the 2003 Iraq War justification.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres urged decisive action to "halt the fighting and return to negotiations" on Iran's nuclear program. The meeting occurred hours after U.S. President Donald Trump announced strikes targeting Tehran's key nuclear sites, marking the largest Western military action against Iran since 1979.
China's UN Ambassador Fu Cong condemned the strikes as violating international law, stating: "The parties to the conflict, Israel in particular, should immediately cease fire." Russian envoy Vassily Nebenzia compared U.S. claims about Iranian nuclear threats to "fairy tales" used to justify past Middle East interventions.
Iranian representative Amir Saeid Iravani accused Washington and Tel Aviv of "destroying diplomacy,\" while Israel's envoy Danny Danon defended the strikes as "the last line of defense." European members including France and the UK emphasized diplomatic solutions, with British Ambassador Barbara Woodward warning of "serious risks to regional stability."
A draft resolution proposed by China, Russia, and Pakistan requires nine Security Council votes and no vetoes to pass. Council members face a Monday deadline to submit feedback on the ceasefire proposal.
