UN Security Council Holds Emergency Meeting on Lebanon; France Proposes 21-Day Ceasefire

In an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council held on Wednesday evening at France's request, Jean-Noël Barot, the French Foreign Minister, announced a joint proposal with the United States for a 21-day ceasefire in Lebanon. Barot mentioned this plan in front of the 15 members of the Security Council, stating, "We have reached a temporary ceasefire plan of 21 days in cooperation with our American partners to facilitate diplomatic negotiations." He emphasized that this plan would be made public soon and urged both sides of the conflict to accept it immediately to protect civilians and pave the way for diplomatic talks. Additionally, António Guterres, the UN Secretary-General, warned during the meeting that Lebanon should not be allowed to meet a fate similar to Gaza. He called for an immediate end to the fighting between Israel and Hezbollah, saying, "Let us say loudly: end the killings and destruction. Reduce the threatening tone and step back from the brink of all-out war. This war must stop at all costs." On the sidelines of this meeting, the Iranian Foreign Minister told reporters that the Middle East is facing a "full-scale catastrophe" and threatened that if Israel escalates its attacks against Hezbollah, Tehran would not remain indifferent and would support the group in any way possible. Abbas Araghchi stated that "Israel has crossed all red lines and the UN Security Council must intervene to restore peace and stability to the Middle East," adding, "If the current situation in the region is not controlled, the world will face catastrophic consequences." He criticized the "unwavering support of the United States and some Western countries for Israel," claiming that this support encourages Tel Aviv to "commit crimes with impunity," and the inaction of the Security Council has also pushed the region towards catastrophe. The Iranian Foreign Minister accused Israel of mass killings of civilians in Gaza, stating, "It now seems that Israel wants to repeat the same actions in Lebanon by waging war against Hezbollah, but the Islamic Republic will stand by Hezbollah and the people of Lebanon with all its capabilities." The United States supported Israel's approach in the Gaza ceasefire negotiations. Abbas Araghchi: In the event of war in Lebanon, the Islamic Republic will not remain indifferent. The U.S. warned about the danger of escalating tensions in the Middle East. The U.S. sanctioned several companies and ships for participating in the transfer of Iranian oil and gas. Blinken: The U.S. government takes the Islamic Republic's threats against Donald Trump and U.S. officials very seriously. Blinken warned about the "acute" danger of escalating tensions in the Middle East. The UK warned its citizens: "Leave Lebanon immediately." Sirens sounded in Tel Aviv following the interception of a ground-to-ground missile fired from Lebanon.