Khaled Kiari addressed the U.N. Security Council and warned that recent U.S. military operations and maritime interdictions near Venezuela have raised tensions and risk undermining regional stability. "The United States military presence and operations in the Southern Caribbean off of the coast of Venezuela have increased since this council last discussed the situation on October 10," Kiari said, and he quoted U.S. authorities that "105 individuals have been killed in these strikes since February."

Kiari said the United States has characterized some operations as "part of a, quote, non international armed conflict ... against drug cartels" and invoked Article 51 of the Charter of the United Nations. He said Venezuelan authorities view recent measures—including seizures and sanctions targeting shipping—as a "serious threat to international peace and security" and have formally protested to the United Nations.

Kiari cited a U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights statement that U.S. air strikes "allegedly linked to drug trafficking violate international human rights law" and called for "prompt independent and transparent investigations." He also summarized steps that followed U.S. actions: a U.S. designation of the so-called "Cartel de los Soles" under U.S. law, additional sanctions on entities and individuals, and U.S. aviation advisories that have prompted many international carriers to suspend flights to Venezuela.

Quoting the International Civil Aviation Organization, Kiari noted that the 1944 Convention on International Civil Aviation recognizes each state's "complete and exclusive sovereignty of the airspace above its territory," and cited that organization’s Dec. 1 statement about states' authority to issue risk advisories.

Kiari described recent maritime incidents, saying Venezuelan naval vessels have escorted tankers leaving ports and that the United States interdicted at least one tanker on Dec. 20 and pursued another vessel that did not submit. He said identical letters dated Dec. 17 from Venezuela’s permanent representative to the U.N. secretary-general and the Security Council president assert that U.S. actions amount to a unilateral naval blockade that violates Venezuela's sovereignty and international law.

Kiari also described internal measures in Venezuela, saying that, "citing external threats, President Maduro enacted a decree expanding the government's emergency powers" and that the U.N. human rights office has reported coerced enlistment, restrictions on expression and assembly, arbitrary detention and enforced disappearances. He warned that broad sanctions and export restrictions risk further constraining the government's fiscal ability to deliver basic public services and increase humanitarian needs.

On humanitarian assistance, Kiari noted that "the United Nations and its partners continue to work and deliver assistance," including allocations from the United Nations Central Emergency Response Fund and the Venezuelan Humanitarian Fund. He said that on Dec. 17 President Maduro spoke by telephone with the U.N. secretary-general and that the secretary-general "stands ready to support all efforts at diplomatic engagements, including the exercise of his good offices, if both parties so request it."

The presiding officer thanked Kiari for the briefing and opened the floor to council members; the Russian Federation's representative was then given the floor.