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Iran tells U.N. Security Council Israel attacked nuclear sites, vows right of self‑defense
Summary
At an emergency U.N. Security Council meeting, a representative of the Islamic Republic of Iran accused Israel of conducting attacks on Iranian nuclear and civilian sites, reported casualty figures and called on the Council to condemn the strikes; Iran said it would exercise its right to self‑defense under Article 51 of the U.N. Charter.
A representative of the Islamic Republic of Iran told an emergency meeting of the United Nations Security Council that Israel carried out “barbaric and criminal attacks” on Iranian territory, including on nuclear facilities, and said Iran would exercise its right to self‑defense under Article 51 of the U.N. Charter.
The representative said the attacks struck “peaceful nuclear facilities under the IAEA safeguards, military installations, civilian infrastructure, and residential areas,” and gave casualty figures: “So far, 78 Iranians have been killed and more than 320 injured.” The speaker described the strikes as unlawful and accused Israel of acting “with a full intelligence, operational, and political backing of the United States government.”
The statement characterized the strikes as a breach of international law and a threat to regional and global peace. “This was a reckless criminal act that could have triggered a radiological catastrophic by beyond Iran's border,” the representative said, adding that the Security Council “must act now and stop the aggressor from the further aggression.”
On the question of Iran’s response, the representative said Iran would invoke its right to self‑defense: “Let me be clear. Iran will exercise its inherent right to self defense under article 51 of the charter. Our response will be lawful, proportionate, and determined, and it will come at a time of our choosing.” The statement also said Israel had “apparently claimed responsibility” and urged the Council to condemn the attacks and “uphold this charter obligation.”
The representative reiterated that the attacks, as described, were an assault on the international legal order and on the United Nations. The delegation called for accountability and warned that silence by Council members would amount to complicity.
No formal Council action or vote is recorded in the transcript excerpt provided. The remarks in the transcript are a statement by the Iranian representative and include accusations and calls for Council action; they do not record a Security Council decision, a resolution, or a vote.
