Pakistan informed the UN Security Council in an emergency meeting on Friday that Israel’s strike on Iranian military and nuclear sites poses a “serious threat and a grave danger” to the peace, security, and stability of the region and beyond.
The 15-member Council adjusted its original schedule to respond to the fast-changing crisis, listening to the head of the UN nuclear watchdog, who cautioned of the serious threats to regional stability and nuclear security.
In his address, Pakistan’s permanent representative to the UN, Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, unequivocally denounced Israel’s “illegitimate and unjustified” attack on Iran.
He reiterated that Pakistan was in unwavering solidarity with the Iranian people and condemned the government.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi had called for the Security Council session, reporting that Israel had “now crossed every red line,” calling on the international community to make sure these crimes are not going unpunished. Joining Pakistan in calling for the meeting were China and Russia.
As tensions mounted, Ambassador Ahmad called on the Security Council to fulfill its mandate of imposing international law and putting an end to the aggression at once. He emphatically urged the crisis to be resolved by dialogue and diplomacy.
During the session, UN Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs Rosemary DiCarlo briefed the Council on the consequences of the attacks, which were already having a regional impact.
“I reiterate the Secretary-General’s condemnation of any escalation in military activity in the Middle East,” she said, calling for maximum restraint by both Israel and Iran and an avoidance of, “at all costs, an escalation into a broader and deeper regional conflict.”
