- Pakistan calls Israel’s attack as ‘unjustified and illegitimate’.
- UNSC urged to uphold international law and halt aggression.
- Asim advocates for resolving crisis thru dialogue, diplomacy.
Israel’s strikes on Iranian nuclear and military facilities constitute a “grave danger and a serious threat” to peace, security, and stability across the entire region and beyond, Pakistan told the Security Council during an emergency session convened on Friday.
The 15-member Council cleared its original schedule to address the rapidly evolving crisis. It also heard from the head of the UN nuclear watchdog, who warned of the severe risks to regional stability and nuclear safety.
In his remarks to the emergency UN meeting, Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the UN, strongly condemned what he described as the “unjustified and illegitimate” aggression by Israel against Iran.
He reaffirmed that Islamabad stood in resolute solidarity with the Iranian government and its people.
Iran’s Foreign Minister, Abbas Araghchi, requested the Security Council meeting, stating that Israel “has now crossed every red line, and the international community must not allow these crimes to go unpunished.”
Pakistan, along with China and Russia, supported the request for the emergency session.
Amid mounting tensions, the Pakistani envoy urged the Council to uphold international law and immediately halt the aggression.
Ambassador Asim strongly advocated for resolving the crisis through dialogue and diplomacy.
Briefing the Security Council, Rosemary DiCarlo, the UN Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs, told ambassadors that the repercussions of the attacks were already being felt.
“I reaffirm the Secretary-General’s condemnation of any military escalation in the Middle East,” she said, urging both Israel and Iran to exercise maximum restraint and “avoid at all costs a descent into deeper and wider regional conflict.”
She noted that the escalation had come just as “some significant diplomatic developments” were underway, including the planned resumption of US-Iranian talks in Oman over the weekend. However, the latest reports indicate that Iran will no longer attend.
DiCarlo urged all parties to remain committed to diplomacy.
“A peaceful resolution through negotiations remains the best way to ensure the peaceful nature of Iran’s nuclear programme,” she said. “We must, at all costs, avoid a growing conflagration that could have enormous global consequences.”
Also addressing the Council, Rafael Grossi, Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), said his agency was in constant contact with the Iranian Nuclear Regulatory Authority to assess the status of affected facilities and to determine broader impacts on nuclear safety and security.
He stressed that nuclear sites must never be targeted – under any circumstances.
“Such attacks have serious implications for nuclear security, nuclear safety and safeguards, as well as regional and international peace and security,” Grossi said.
He added that he was prepared to travel to the region at the earliest opportunity to assess the situation and support efforts on safety, security and non-proliferation in Iran.
“It is clear that the only sustainable path forward for Iran, Israel, the entire region and the international community is one grounded in dialogue and diplomacy to ensure peace, stability and cooperation.”
Grossi concluded by offering the IAEA as a neutral platform where “facts prevail over rhetoric” and where technical engagement replaces escalation.
“I reaffirm my personal commitment, and that of the agency, to facilitate dialogue and support efforts that promote transparency, security, and the peaceful resolution of nuclear issues in Iran,” he said.
