UN Secretary-General at Emergency Security Council Meeting: Now is the Time for Maximum Restraint and De-escalation

The UN Secretary-General warned on Sunday at the start of an emergency Security Council meeting that the people of the region face a real danger of 'a devastating full-scale conflict,' stating: 'Now is the time to reduce tensions, neutralize conflicts, and exercise maximum restraint.' António Guterres referred to the extensive missile and drone attacks by the Islamic Republic on Israel, which resulted in only a few injuries, and said that once the nature of the attack became clear, he immediately condemned it and called for an immediate cessation of hostilities. He emphasized that 'it is vital to refrain from any actions that could lead to a major military confrontation on multiple fronts in the Middle East.' The Islamic Republic launched dozens of drones and missiles from within Iran towards Israel late Saturday; attacks that Tehran claims were in response to an attack on its consulate in Damascus, Syria, on April 1, and continued until early Sunday. The Islamic Republic has attributed that attack to Israel. The strong support of the US and the UK for Israel was evident, with the US Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN condemning the direct attack by the Islamic Republic on Israel, stating that the Islamic Republic or its proxies would be held accountable for further actions against Israel or the United States. Robert Wood added in the emergency Security Council meeting, convened at Israel's request, that the UN Security Council must unequivocally condemn the aggressive actions of the Islamic Republic and demand that Tehran and its partners cease their attacks. He further announced that the United States would consider further actions to hold the Islamic Republic accountable at the UN in the coming days. The UK Permanent Representative to the UN also emphasized that her country would continue to defend the security of Israel and its regional partners, including Jordan and Iraq, following the Islamic Republic's attack. Barbara Woodward also stated that the UK, alongside the international community, would continue to take immediate action to stabilize the situation and prevent further tensions. China and Russia, as two permanent members with veto power in the Security Council and major supporters of the Islamic Republic, described the Islamic Republic's direct and extensive attacks on Israel as 'retaliatory' and refrained from condemning them. The Russian representative criticized the UN Secretary-General and the Security Council's response, stating that if the attack had been against another country, it would have been condemned immediately, and a meeting would have been convened. The Chinese representative also referred to the April 1 attack attributed to Israel, which resulted in the deaths of several senior members of the IRGC, stating that Tehran emphasized its attack on Israel was a 'retaliatory action' and had ended. The representative of the world's second-largest economy, which has sought to increase its influence in the Middle East in recent years, expressed 'deep concern' over the Islamic Republic's actions and called for restraint from all parties and avoidance of escalating tensions in the region. Representatives from Israel, the Islamic Republic, and Syria were invited to the emergency meeting to discuss the situation in the Middle East and present the latest positions of their respective countries. Gilad Erdan, the Israeli representative, emphasized in his speech regarding the missile and drone attack by the Islamic Republic that this attack was 'clear evidence' that Israel's previous warnings about the danger of the Islamic Republic were correct. He displayed video footage of missiles flying over the Al-Aqsa Mosque and religious sites in Jerusalem, which are also sacred to Muslims, stating: 'The Islamic Republic shows no respect even for Islam and Muslims.' The Israeli ambassador to the UN further posed the question, 'Can you imagine what catastrophe we would face if this attack had been carried out with nuclear munitions?' emphasizing that the Islamic Republic must be 'stopped today.' Gilad Erdan warned: 'The Ayatollah regime, in conjunction with Hamas, Hezbollah, and other jihadists, brings war and destruction wherever it goes; even in Europe, Ukrainian civilians are being killed by their drones, and the Islamic Republic has been violating UN resolutions for years.' The representative of the Islamic Republic claimed that Israel ignored the UN Charter by attacking the Islamic Republic's consulate in the Syrian capital. Saeed Iravani denied the Iranian government's role in organizing and financing militia groups in the region, stating regarding the attack on Israel: 'We have shown maximum restraint against Israel.' He emphasized: 'The Islamic Republic has no intention of confronting the US in the region.' The meeting concluded with remarks from the Syrian representative. From the outset, this emergency meeting was not expected to result in a specific outcome or resolution; it was merely convened to review the situation in the Middle East and hear the positions of the involved parties and members of the international community.