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United States Bombing of Iran's Nuclear Facilities Marks 'Perilous Turn' in Volatile Middle East, Secretary-General Warns Security Council during Emergency Meeting

Meetings Coverage
Security Council

9941st Meeting (PM)

SC/16095
22 June 2025

The United States' bombing of Iran's nuclear facilities marks a "perilous turn" in an already volatile region, Secretary-General António Guterres warned during an emergency meeting of the Security Council today. The United Nations' top nuclear watchdog official also cautioned that violence could reach "unthinkable levels", and that the global non-proliferation regime "as we know it could crumble and fall".

"We now risk descending into a rathole of retaliation after retaliation," Mr. Guterres warned the 15-member Council. "To avoid it, diplomacy must prevail," he stressed.

He called for civilians to be protected and for safe maritime navigation to be guaranteed, calling for the immediate and decisive halt in fighting and a return to "serious, sustained negotiations" on the Iran nuclear programme.

"We need a credible, comprehensive and verifiable solution — one that restores trust — including with full access to inspectors of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)," he went on to say.

The Non-Proliferation Treaty is a cornerstone of international peace and security, and Iran must fully respect it. For their part, Member States must act in accordance with their obligations under the UN Charter and other rules of international law, including international humanitarian law, Mr. Guterres stated.

Dangerous Moment Has Arrived

Miroslav Jenča, Assistant Secretary-General for Europe, Central Asia and Americas, Departments of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs and Peace Operations, also briefing the Council, called the United States military strikes against the Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan nuclear facilities in Iran a "dangerous escalation" in a conflict that has already devastated many lives.

"I fear we are now in that dangerous moment," he told Council members, noting that just hours after the United States strikes, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said it had launched some 40 missiles at Israel. Israel has also said it launched a series of strikes against military targets in Iran, including in Tehran, Tabriz and Yazd. Earlier on 21 June, Israel attacked, for a second time since 13 June, the Isfahan nuclear complex, hitting six buildings.

According to Iran's Ministry of Health, as of 21 June, 430 people have been killed and more than 3,500 others injured due to Israeli strikes across Iran. "Most have been civilians," he said. According to Israeli authorities, 25 Israelis have been killed and 1,300 more have been injured since the beginning of exchanges with Iran.

"The Middle East cannot afford yet another violent conflict where civilians pay the price of military confrontation," he said, echoing the Secretary-General's call on Member States, and on the members of the Security Council, to de-escalate and to uphold their obligations under the UN Charter, notably the obligation to settle their international disputes by peaceful means. "We need diplomacy, de-escalation and confidence-building now," he emphasized.

Craters Visible at Iran's Main Uranium Enrichment Site

Rafael Mariano Grossi, IAEA's Director General, said that craters are visible at the Fordow site — Iran's main location for enriching uranium at 60 per cent, indicating the use by the United States of ground penetrating munitions. "At this time, no one, including the IAEA, is in a position to assess the underground damage at Fordow," he added.

At the Isfahan nuclear site, additional buildings were hit overnight, with the United States confirming their use of cruise missiles. Affected buildings include some related to the uranium conversion process. "Also at this site, entrances to tunnels used for the storage of enriched material appear to have been hit," he said. At the Natanz enrichment site, the fuel enrichment plant has been hit again, with the United States confirming that it used ground penetrating munitions.

Iran has informed the IAEA that there has been no increase in off-site radiation levels at these three sites, he said, urging Iran to maintain its "indispensable contact" with the IAEA incident and emergency centre. "Armed attacks on nuclear facilities should never take place and could result in radioactive releases with great consequences within and beyond the boundaries of the State which has been attacked," he warned, reiterating his previous calls from 48 hours ago for maximum restraint and a return to diplomacy.

With the Council's support, IAEA can deploy nuclear safety and security experts to Iran in addition to safeguards inspectors wherever they are needed. "Let us not allow the window to close on diplomacy," he said. "We will not be safer if there are more nuclear weapons in more States around the world," he concluded.

Delegates Echo Concern Recent Military Escalation Risks Exacerbating Already Extremely Dangerous Situation, Urge Restraint

In the ensuing discussion among 15 Council members, several delegations warned that the most recent escalation risks further exacerbating an already extremely dangerous situation. Slovenia's representative also expressed concern about the "unclear nature of Iran's nuclear program". Sierra Leone's delegate, meanwhile, recalled: "The strikes were conducted without Council authorization, nor was there a clear invocation of the right of self-defence in response to an imminent attack". The representative of the Republic of Korea stated that Seoul remains firmly convinced that "no sustainable resolution to this crisis can be achieved through military means alone", while Panama's delegate recognized it as a major factor inflaming the current conflict.

Several speakers urged Iran to refrain from any further action that could destabilize the Middle East. "This is a pivotal moment for the region," said the representative of the United Kingdom, warning that a further spiral of conflict poses serious risk. "Our foremost priority must now be to support de-escalation," she said, emphasizing that the United Kingdom did not participate in the United States or Israeli strikes. Iran must refrain from any retaliation, France's delegate implored, calling on Tehran to cease its nuclear escalation and to opt for diplomacy. Warning that the current trajectory is fraught with danger, Denmark's delegate urged Iran to re-engage in negotiations.

United States Leadership's 'Wholesale Disregard' for International Law, UN Charter

Calling on Iran for restraint is hypocritical as if it were Iran, not Israel and the United States, that is escalating the situation, said the representative of the Russian Federation. "Washington [has] reasserted that to further the interests of its Israeli ally, its prepared not only to turn a blind eye to the killings of tens of thousands of Palestinian women, children and older persons, but also to gamble with the safety and well-being of humanity," he said, adding that the United States leadership "actually flaunted" and demonstrated "wholesale disregard" for the norms of international law and the UN Charter.

"None of our sensible colleagues in the international community will believe our US colleagues anymore, much like they won't believe their attempts to convince the Security Council that Iran was trying to acquire nuclear weapons," he said. Recalling how in the Council chamber in 2003, then-United States Secretary of State Colin Powell "waved around a test tube justifying Washington's plans to invade the territory of another sovereign State", he said history has taught the United States nothing. Washington, D.C.'s move not only dealt a blow to the IAEA's authority, it also destroyed the basis of international cooperation. Iran, as per the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), has the right to develop its civilian nuclear programme.

Call for Support of Draft Resolution Condemning Attacks on Iran's Nuclear Facilities

Echoing Moscow's calls for Council members to support the draft resolution that would condemn the attacks on Iran´s nuclear installations, China's delegate said the Security Council cannot stand idly by in the face of major crisis. Dialogue and negotiations are the only way out of the current crisis, he said, adding there is still hope for a peaceful solution and an agreement that would be acceptable to all parties.

United States Speaker Defends Military Operation as Move to Stop Nuclear Threat Posed by Iran

The speaker for the United States defended its military strikes on the Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan nuclear facilities as a move to dismantle Iran's nuclear enrichment capacity and stop the nuclear threat by the world's foremost State sponsor of terrorism. "This operation sought to eliminate a long-standing but rapidly escalating source of global insecurity and to aid our ally Israel in our inherent right of collective self-defence, consistent with the UN Charter," she said.

For 40 years, the Iranian Government has called for "death to America" and "death to Israel" and "posed as a constant menace" to the peace and security of its neighbours, the United States and the entire world. Iran has attacked Israel with hundreds of ballistic missiles and through terrorist proxies. For decades, Iran has been responsible for the misery and countless deaths across the Middle East. Iran's Government and its proxies have also killed numerous Americans, including American service members in Iraq and Afghanistan. In recent weeks, Iranian officials have intensified their "hostile bluster and rhetoric", she said, stressing that Iran has long obfuscated its nuclear weapons programme and stonewalled good faith efforts in recent negotiations.

"The time finally came for the United States, in the defence of its ally and in the defence of our own citizens and interests, to act decisively," she said. The Iranian regime cannot have a nuclear weapon. Iran should not escalate. "As President [Donald J] Trump said, any Iranian attack — direct or indirect — against Americans or American bases will be met with devastating retaliation," she warned. The recent IAEA report on verification and monitoring of Iran's lack of compliance with obligatory nuclear safeguards shows clearly that Iran has continued to accelerate its nuclear activities without any credible civilian justification.

Delegates Support Iran's Nuclear Programme for Solely Peaceful Purposes

Echoing several delegations' stating that Iran's nuclear programme is intended solely for peaceful purposes, Pakistan's representative said that the targeting of nuclear facilities under IAEA safeguards constitutes a clear breach of international law. Algeria's delegate also said that any armed attack against nuclear facilities dedicated to peaceful purposes violates the principles of the UN Charter, international law and the IAEA statute. Under no circumstance should nuclear facilities be subject to attack, he added.

Greece's delegate, however, said IAEA inspectors must be able to resume their activity and check on the status of enriched uranium stockpile, as well as of Iran's remaining enrichment capabilities, adding that such high levels of enriched uranium in a region as volatile as the Middle East can generate extreme uncertainty and instability.

To that end, Somalia's delegate reiterated his stance for the creation of nuclear-free-zone in the Middle East, stressing: "Give peace a chance." Guyana's representative, Council President for the month of June, emphasized: "We must ensure that the parties avoid being trapped in a retaliatory tit for tat loop of violence that undermines regional and global peace and security."