UNITED NATIONS, Feb. 28 (Xinhua) -- The UN Security Council convened an emergency meeting on Iran on Saturday, following massive military attacks on the country launched by the United States and Israel earlier in the day.
In his remarks, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned the military strikes by the United States and Israel against Iran, as well as Iran's subsequent attacks, which he said violated "the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Bahrain, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates."
Guterres warned that military action risks igniting a chain of events that no one can control in the world's most volatile regions, stressing that "international law and international humanitarian law must always be respected."
"There is no viable alternative to the peaceful settlement of international disputes," the UN chief stated, adding that lasting peace can only be achieved through peaceful means, including genuine dialogue and negotiations.
The U.S. and Israeli attacks occurred following the third round of indirect talks between the United States and Iran mediated by Oman, with preparations made for technical talks in Vienna next week followed by a new round of political talks, said the secretary-general. "I deeply regret that this opportunity of diplomacy has been squandered."
Calling for de-escalation and an immediate cessation of hostilities, he warned that "the alternative is a potential wider conflict with grave consequences for civilians and regional stability."
"Everything must be done to prevent a further escalation," Guterres said, urging all parties to return immediately to the negotiating table, notably on the Iran nuclear programme.
Calling the strikes "unprovoked and premeditated aggression" against Iran for the second time in recent months, Iran's UN ambassador Amir Saeid Iravani said the strikes "deliberately" attacked densely populated civilian areas in multiple large cities, killing and injuring hundreds of civilians.
Condemning the military strikes as "a blatant act of aggression, a full-fledged violation of international law," he said, "no justification, no accusation, no narrative of disinformation can legitimize or excuse this manifest crime and aggression."
He noted the attack constituted "a war against the international legal order upon which the United Nations and the Security Council have been built for over eight decades."
Fu Cong, China's permanent representative to the United Nations, noted that China expresses deep concern over the sudden escalation of regional tensions after the United States and Israel outrageously launched military strikes on targets in Iran.
China always believes that all parties should abide by the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, opposes and condemns the use or threat of use of force in international relations, said Fu, adding that the sovereignty, security and territorial integrity of Iran and other countries in the region must be respected.
Russia's UN ambassador Vasily Nebenzya said the U.S. and Israeli strike is "a deliberate, premeditated, and unprovoked act of armed aggression against a sovereign and independent UN member state, in direct violation of the fundamental principles and norms of international law."
Their irresponsible step has undermined peace, stability, and security in the Middle East, he said, adding that the U.S. and Israeli military operation "has been a betrayal of diplomacy." ■
