WANA (Jun 23) – At an emergency meeting of the United Nations Security Council, convened at Iran’s request to address U.S. hostilities against Iranian nuclear facilities, Iran’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Amir Saeid Iravani, delivered the following statement:

 

Madam President,

 

Let me begin by thanking you for your commendable efforts, as President of the Security Council, in convening this urgent meeting. We welcome the presence of the Secretary-General and have listened carefully to the statement delivered by Mr. Miroslav Jenča, Assistant Secretary-General for Europe. We are grateful to all countries that have stood on the right side of history and unequivocally condemned the acts of aggression by the United States and the Israeli regime against my country.

 

Madam President,

 

Today marks the third time I speak before this Council in the wake of brutal aggressions against my country—first by the Israeli regime on June 13, and now by the United States. I speak with the utmost urgency and deep concern on behalf of our people, a peace-loving nation of nearly 100 million.

 

Madam President,

 

Another dark stain has been added today to the political history of the United States.

 

After the illegitimate Israeli regime failed in carrying out the West’s “dirty work,” Donald Trump felt compelled to personally execute the most disgraceful part of this sinister scenario in the early hours of Sunday, June 22, 2025. Benjamin Netanyahu, an internationally wanted war criminal, has once again hijacked U.S. foreign policy and dragged America into yet another baseless and costly war. Once again, the United States has recklessly sacrificed its own security for Netanyahu’s political survival. The world has once more witnessed the blatant corruption plaguing the U.S. political system and its leadership.

 

The Islamic Republic of Iran, as a sovereign and peace-seeking nation, had repeatedly warned the war-mongering U.S. regime not to fall into this trap.

 

Now, in accordance with international law, Iran fully reserves its legitimate right to self-defense against this blatant aggression by the United States and its proxy, the Israeli regime. The time, manner, and scope of a proportionate and reciprocal response will be determined by our armed forces.

 

The resilient and united people of Iran have endured far deeper wounds throughout history and faced far more ruthless enemies; once again, they will demonstrate their dignity, strength, and greatness to the world.

 

In the past ten days since the Israeli regime’s savage attack, all relevant information and warnings were conveyed to international bodies, including the UN Security Council and the IAEA. Yet again, these institutions have proven that the so-called 80-year-old effort to prevent war and aggression remains hollow and ineffective in practice.

 

The Islamic Republic of Iran strongly condemns this unprovoked and premeditated act of aggression, which follows the Israeli regime’s extensive military assault on our country and people.

 

Madam President, Distinguished Colleagues,

 

History will not forget these sorrowful days. It is profoundly regrettable that a peace-loving country, a founding member of the United Nations with over 5,000 years of civilization, a responsible party to the UN Charter and the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), and a non-nuclear nation, has come under military attack—first by an illegitimate regime, and now by its main backer, the United States, both of which possess thousands of nuclear warheads.

 

The United States, a permanent member of this Council, the depository of the NPT, and the only country ever to use nuclear weapons, killing millions in two cities, has once again resorted to unlawful force—this time under the absurd pretext of preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons. What a bitter and tragic irony.

 

The aggressions committed by the U.S. and Israel constitute a blatant violation of international law. They breach the jus cogens norm prohibiting aggression and the fundamental principles of the UN Charter—particularly Article 2(4), which clearly forbids the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any state. These unlawful actions also violate the IAEA Statute, relevant IAEA General Conference resolutions, UN Security Council Resolutions 487 (1981) and 2231 (2015), and the NPT itself.

 

While the U.S. representative continues to level baseless accusations against Iran, the international community is well aware of the United States’ dark and well-documented history of military interventions, illegal use of force, and support for terrorism across the Middle East and beyond.

 

The facts speak for themselves: every single accusation made by the United States against Iran is unfounded, legally baseless, and politically motivated.

 

A glaring example of this reality is the cowardly assassination of Lieutenant General Qassem Soleimani, commander of the IRGC Quds Force. He was assassinated along with his companions while on an official visit to Iraq at the invitation of the Iraqi government. This heinous crime was committed by U.S. forces under direct orders from the then-U.S. President, who, just yesterday, publicly reaffirmed his responsibility for it. General Soleimani remains a hero for the people of Iran and the region in the fight against terrorist groups, especially ISIS.

 

From the illegal invasions of Iraq and Afghanistan to the catastrophic intervention in Libya, the United States has repeatedly violated the UN Charter, destroyed entire societies, and destabilized entire regions for decades. The peoples of those countries continue to bear the consequences of U.S. recklessness.

 

Madam President,

 

The Israeli attack on June 13 and the U.S. airstrikes on June 21 did not occur in a vacuum. They are a direct result of the unlawful and politicized actions of the United States and its European partners—namely, the United Kingdom, France, and Germany—as well as the biased conduct of the IAEA Director General. Without doubt, the United States, the UK, and France—the three permanent members of this Council—alongside Israel and the IAEA Director General, bear full responsibility for the blood of innocent Iranian civilians, particularly women and children, and the destruction of vital civilian infrastructure.

 

Iran was preparing for the next round of diplomatic engagement with the U.S. on June 15, but the Israeli regime chose to launch an attack just two days before that. In doing so, it deliberately sabotaged diplomacy. What was presented as diplomacy was nothing but a deceptive tactic to mislead the international community.

 

This week, as the Iranian Foreign Minister was engaged in talks with the European Troika and the European Union, the United States chose to obliterate diplomacy. What conclusion can be drawn from this? From the West’s perspective, Iran must “return to the negotiating table”—but as our Foreign Minister rightly pointed out, “How can Iran return to something it never left?”

 

Madam President,

 

The pattern is painfully clear. The NPT, the cornerstone of the global non-proliferation regime, has been politicized and weaponized. A treaty meant to ensure the peaceful use of nuclear energy for all its members has been turned into a tool for aggression and illegality—threatening my country’s vital interests.

 

The selective, double-standard behavior of the IAEA Board of Governors and the Security Council—turning a blind eye to Israel’s past attacks on Iraq’s Osirak reactor, its assaults on safeguarded Iranian nuclear sites, and its continued aggression—marks a profound moral, political, and legal disgrace. This stain will permanently damage the credibility of these international institutions. In such a biased environment, no NPT member state can be assured that it will not face similar acts of aggression in the future.

 

For over two decades, Israel—a rogue nuclear-armed regime that continues to defy Security Council Resolution 487 and refuses to join the NPT—has propagated the false narrative that Iran is on the brink of acquiring nuclear weapons. Yet not a single credible document has ever substantiated this baseless claim. Iran, on the contrary, has taken sincere and constructive steps, including the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), and has fully implemented its obligations under UNSC Resolution 2231—demonstrating the purely peaceful nature of its nuclear program.

 

Madam President,

 

Iran is acting under its inherent right of self-defense as enshrined in Article 51 of the UN Charter. We will take all necessary and appropriate measures, in accordance with international law, to protect our people, national sovereignty, territorial integrity, and peaceful nuclear program.

 

Once again, I must remind this Council of its legal and moral responsibilities. Should the Security Council and the United Nations—which were created to uphold international peace and security—fail to act decisively at this critical moment, they will lose their credibility and standing forever.

 

The Israeli regime and the United States are the main culprits in the collapse of the rule of law, the erosion of international norms, and the undermining of the IAEA Statute and the non-proliferation regime. Yet the silence, double standards, and complicity of certain international organizations and Western countries—including France and the UK—are equally deplorable.

 

The UN Security Council must urgently act under Chapter VII of the Charter to redress this injustice and these grave violations through the following measures:

 

Strongly condemn the acts of aggression, violations, and atrocities committed against the Islamic Republic of Iran;

 

Take effective enforcement action against the aggressors and ensure full accountability of the United States and the Israeli regime;

 

Place Israel’s nuclear facilities under full IAEA safeguards.

 

 

This is a historic test for this Council — and for the entire United Nations system. Every responsible state and actor must heed this call and unequivocally condemn these blatant acts of aggression. Failure to do so will mark the gradual erosion of the non-proliferation ideal and institutionalize a dangerous precedent — one in which force replaces law, and the core principles of the UN Charter are trampled without consequence.

 

We stand at a pivotal moment in history. Let this be the end of impunity — a moment to uphold the very principles upon which this Council was founded.

 

The Council must act decisively. Silence would amount to complicity in these crimes. If the Council fails to respond and condemn this flagrant aggression, the stain of complicity — just as it has remained over Gaza — will forever mark its conscience and credibility.

 

Highlights from the Emergency UN Security Council Meeting on Israel’s Attack on Iran

Following Israel’s military strike on Iranian territory, the UN Security Council convened an emergency session. The statements made during the meeting revealed deep international divisions and widespread concern over the escalating crisis:

 

Antonio Guterres, UN Secretary-General:

“We must act swiftly and decisively to halt the hostilities and return to serious and sustained negotiations.”

 

Rafael Grossi, Director General of the IAEA:

“The Agency has repeatedly emphasized that military attacks must not target nuclear facilities. Such actions pose a grave threat to international security.”

 

UK Representative:

“The Middle East is at a critical juncture. Continued violence threatens regional peace and stability.”

 

French Representative:

“We were not involved in the planning or execution of the United States’ attacks on Iran.”

 

Chinese Representative:

“We call for an immediate ceasefire and an end to the conflict. Israel must agree to the ceasefire.”

 

Russian Representative:

“Washington and Tel Aviv see themselves as self-appointed judges with no regard for justice. The U.S. attack on Iran has opened a Pandora’s box and unleashed a cycle of endless violence.”