U.N. Security Council split after strikes on Irans nuclear sites; IAEA convenes board
June 22, 2025 | United Nations, Federal
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The United Nations Security Council met in an emergency session after U.S. military strikes hit the Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan nuclear sites in the Islamic Republic of Iran, prompting urgent appeals for de-escalation, technical inspections by the International Atomic Energy Agency and a sharply divided set of statements from Council members.
Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, speaking at the opening of the meeting, urged diplomacy and protection of civilians, saying "give peace a chance," and warned that the strikes risked "wider war, deeper human suffering, and serious damage to the international order." He called for immediate action to halt the fighting and return to negotiations.
IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi said the agency had convened a special session of the Board of Governors in Vienna for the following morning and urged that inspectors be allowed access to the struck sites once safety conditions permit. Grossi briefed the Council that, among Irans stockpiles, the agency accounts for "4,400 kilograms of enriched uranium at 60%" and that establishing the facts on the ground requires "only through IAEA inspections." He said craters were visible at Fordow and that damage appeared consistent with the use of ground-penetrating munitions at multiple sites.
Assistant Secretary-General Miroslav Jenca briefed the Council on preliminary reports: Iranian state media indicated tunnel entrances and perimeter areas were hit at Fordow, and Irans authorities and open-source imagery suggested damage at several points across the three sites. Jenca also cited casualty and damage figures reported by national authorities: Irans Ministry of Health had reported about 430 killed and more than 3,500 injured from recent strikes across Iran, while Israeli authorities reported roughly 25 killed and about 1,300 injured amid exchanges with Iran. Jenca urged Iran to allow IAEA teams to assess damage.
Council members split sharply in tone and attribution of responsibility. The Representative of the United States defended last evenings operation as intended to "dismantle Iran's nuclear enrichment capacity and stop the nuclear threat," framing the strikes as consistent with the right of collective self-defense. The Representative of Israel described the strikes as a necessary action against what Israel called "the greatest existential threat." By contrast, the Representative of the Russian Federation condemned the U.S. strikes as "irresponsible, dangerous and provocative," saying they had "opened a Pandora's box," and accused the United States and Israel of undermining the nonproliferation regime.
Several members called for immediate cessation of hostilities and renewed diplomacy. France, the United Kingdom, China, Pakistan, Sierra Leone, Algeria, Panama, Guyana (the Council president) and others urged restraint, respect for the UN Charter and international humanitarian law, and full cooperation with the IAEA. China and Russia said they, with Pakistan, circulated a draft Security Council resolution calling for an immediate and unconditional ceasefire, protection of civilians and a return to negotiations; the text was circulated during the morning but was not adopted during the meeting.
Irans representative strongly condemned the strikes, called them violations of the UN Charter and IAEA statute, and said Iran reserves the right to defend itself in accordance with Article 51 of the Charter. The representative warned that failure by the Council to act would erode the credibility of the United Nations.
IAEA technical access and safety dominated much of the discussion. Grossi told the Council that inspectors already in Iran must be able to resume full work and that the agency could deploy nuclear safety and security experts immediately if supported. He warned that attacks on nuclear facilities could risk radioactive releases with consequences inside and beyond the state concerned and stressed that any credible verification or arrangement requires on-site inspections.
No formal Council vote or binding decision was taken at the session. Members aired competing views on legality, proportionality and the risk of regional escalation. Delegations repeatedly emphasized the humanitarian risks of further strikes, the potential effects on maritime security and global trade routes, and the need to avoid a broader regional conflagration.
The Council was told it would meet again soon to consider implementation questions related to existing resolutions; France said the Council would reconvene in two days to consider Resolution 2231. In the meantime, the IAEA has scheduled a special Board of Governors session in Vienna to review the technical situation and to consider next steps on inspections and verification.
The emergency session underscored a deep division among Security Council members over the strikes, with several delegations pressing for immediate ceasefire language and enhanced IAEA access while others defended the strikes as a necessary security measure against Irans nuclear activities. With no consensus reached, the Council left unresolved whether it would or could adopt unified action at this stage.
Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, speaking at the opening of the meeting, urged diplomacy and protection of civilians, saying "give peace a chance," and warned that the strikes risked "wider war, deeper human suffering, and serious damage to the international order." He called for immediate action to halt the fighting and return to negotiations.
IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi said the agency had convened a special session of the Board of Governors in Vienna for the following morning and urged that inspectors be allowed access to the struck sites once safety conditions permit. Grossi briefed the Council that, among Irans stockpiles, the agency accounts for "4,400 kilograms of enriched uranium at 60%" and that establishing the facts on the ground requires "only through IAEA inspections." He said craters were visible at Fordow and that damage appeared consistent with the use of ground-penetrating munitions at multiple sites.
Assistant Secretary-General Miroslav Jenca briefed the Council on preliminary reports: Iranian state media indicated tunnel entrances and perimeter areas were hit at Fordow, and Irans authorities and open-source imagery suggested damage at several points across the three sites. Jenca also cited casualty and damage figures reported by national authorities: Irans Ministry of Health had reported about 430 killed and more than 3,500 injured from recent strikes across Iran, while Israeli authorities reported roughly 25 killed and about 1,300 injured amid exchanges with Iran. Jenca urged Iran to allow IAEA teams to assess damage.
Council members split sharply in tone and attribution of responsibility. The Representative of the United States defended last evenings operation as intended to "dismantle Iran's nuclear enrichment capacity and stop the nuclear threat," framing the strikes as consistent with the right of collective self-defense. The Representative of Israel described the strikes as a necessary action against what Israel called "the greatest existential threat." By contrast, the Representative of the Russian Federation condemned the U.S. strikes as "irresponsible, dangerous and provocative," saying they had "opened a Pandora's box," and accused the United States and Israel of undermining the nonproliferation regime.
Several members called for immediate cessation of hostilities and renewed diplomacy. France, the United Kingdom, China, Pakistan, Sierra Leone, Algeria, Panama, Guyana (the Council president) and others urged restraint, respect for the UN Charter and international humanitarian law, and full cooperation with the IAEA. China and Russia said they, with Pakistan, circulated a draft Security Council resolution calling for an immediate and unconditional ceasefire, protection of civilians and a return to negotiations; the text was circulated during the morning but was not adopted during the meeting.
Irans representative strongly condemned the strikes, called them violations of the UN Charter and IAEA statute, and said Iran reserves the right to defend itself in accordance with Article 51 of the Charter. The representative warned that failure by the Council to act would erode the credibility of the United Nations.
IAEA technical access and safety dominated much of the discussion. Grossi told the Council that inspectors already in Iran must be able to resume full work and that the agency could deploy nuclear safety and security experts immediately if supported. He warned that attacks on nuclear facilities could risk radioactive releases with consequences inside and beyond the state concerned and stressed that any credible verification or arrangement requires on-site inspections.
No formal Council vote or binding decision was taken at the session. Members aired competing views on legality, proportionality and the risk of regional escalation. Delegations repeatedly emphasized the humanitarian risks of further strikes, the potential effects on maritime security and global trade routes, and the need to avoid a broader regional conflagration.
The Council was told it would meet again soon to consider implementation questions related to existing resolutions; France said the Council would reconvene in two days to consider Resolution 2231. In the meantime, the IAEA has scheduled a special Board of Governors session in Vienna to review the technical situation and to consider next steps on inspections and verification.
The emergency session underscored a deep division among Security Council members over the strikes, with several delegations pressing for immediate ceasefire language and enhanced IAEA access while others defended the strikes as a necessary security measure against Irans nuclear activities. With no consensus reached, the Council left unresolved whether it would or could adopt unified action at this stage.
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