US airstrikes on Iran marks perilous turn in West Asia, says UN chief

The US bombing of Iran's nuclear facilities marks a perilous turn in the Middle East, UN chief Antonio Guterres told an emergency session of the Security Council here, amid escalating tensions in the region.

The 15-nation Council met for the emergency session on Sunday after President Donald Trump announced that the US had bombed three nuclear sites in Iran - Fordo, Natanz and Isfahan.

The bombing of Iranian nuclear facilities by the United States marks a perilous turn in a region that is already reeling. From the outset of the crisis, I have repeatedly condemned any military escalation in the Middle East, Secretary General Guterres told the UN Security Council.

Guterres said the people of the region cannot endure another cycle of destruction. And yet, we now risk descending into a rathole of retaliation after retaliation. 

The UN Chief stressed that the international community must act immediately and decisively to halt the fighting and return to serious, sustained negotiations on the Iranian nuclear programme.

Guterres said that Iran must fully respect the Non-Proliferation Treaty, which is a cornerstone of international peace and security.

Cautioning that the world faces a stark choice between a path that leads to wider war, deeper human suffering, and serious damage to the international order and another that leads to de-escalation, diplomacy and dialogue.

We know which path is right. I urge this Council and all Member States to act with reason, restraint, and urgency. We cannot and must not give up on peace, he said.

International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Grossi told the Council that the attacks on the Iranian nuclear sites have caused a sharp degradation in nuclear safety and security in the country. Though they have not so far led to a radiological release affecting the public, there is a danger this could occur, he said.

Fordo is Iran's main enrichment location for enriching uranium to 60 per cent. IAEA said it is not aware of any damage at Fordo at this time. 

He underscored that armed attacks on nuclear facilities should never take place, and could result in radioactive releases with grave consequences within and beyond the boundaries of the State which has been attacked.

I therefore again call on maximum restraint. Military escalation threatens lives and delays indispensable work towards a diplomatic solution for the long-term assurance that Iran does not acquire a nuclear weapon, Grossi said.

Acting US Representative to the UN Ambassador Dorothy Shea said the Council must call upon the Iranian regime to end its 47-year effort to eradicate the State of Israel, to terminate its drive for nuclear weapons, to stop targeting American citizens and interests, and to negotiate peace in good faith for the prosperity and security of the Iranian people and all other States in the region.