- Pakistan calls for an immediate end to regional escalation.
- Condemns violations of sovereignty and international law.
- Calls for an urgent return to diplomatic talks.
Pakistan has warned the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) that the US-Israeli attack on Iran, and subsequent retaliatory strikes, could undermine the security of the entire region “with far-reaching consequences”.
“We are deeply alarmed by the risk of a regional conflagration,” Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, Pakistan’s permanent representative to the United Nations, told the 15-member Council, meeting in an emergency session at the request of France, China, Russia, Bahrain and Colombia on Saturday evening.
Israel and the United States launched strikes against Iran on Saturday, plunging the Middle East into a new military confrontation as President Donald Trump vowed to destroy Tehran’s missile arsenal and prevent it from developing a nuclear weapon.
Tehran responded with a large barrage of missiles targeting the Gulf states and Israel, marking a sharp escalation in regional hostilities.
The Pakistani envoy, in his speech, regretted that the joint attacks – which he said constituted a violation of international law – took place at a time when renewed diplomatic efforts were underway to reach a peaceful, negotiated solution.
At the same time, Ambassador Ahmad condemned Iranian strikes on Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Qatar and the UAE, stressed Pakistan’s solidarity with them and stressed the need for all parties to exercise maximum restraint.
He said it was particularly regrettable that some of these countries supported efforts to find a diplomatic solution between the United States and Iran, and particularly praised Oman’s role in facilitating and mediating dialogue between the two sides.
He also condemned the death of a Pakistani national in the UAE during the attacks.
“We urge all parties to refrain from any further actions that could undermine the security and territorial integrity of other countries in the region,” the Pakistani envoy said.
Ambassador Ahmad noted that diplomacy had once again been “derailed” amid efforts to reach a negotiated settlement, further eroding already fragile trust. He called on all parties to immediately stop the escalation and urgently resume diplomacy with a view to achieving a peaceful resolution to the crisis.
Expressing condolences to civilians caught in the violence, he said Pakistan’s thoughts were with the schoolchildren in Iran, civilians elsewhere in the region and the family of the Pakistani national killed in the United Arab Emirates.
“The purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations are inviolable and sacrosanct,” he said, emphasizing that the Charter prohibits the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of States. Pakistan, he added, calls for full respect for international law, including international humanitarian law.
Reiterating that the security of millions of people in the region remained a top priority, Ambassador Ahmad said Pakistan maintained close contacts and coordination with brotherly and neighboring countries, including at the leadership level, and was ready to support efforts aimed at peaceful resolution of outstanding issues.
He said Pakistan has always upheld the primacy of peaceful resolution of disputes and the need to avoid confrontation and conflict in a region already plagued by tension and instability, stressing that dialogue and diplomacy must remain the guiding principles of any negotiated settlement.
Opening the debate, UN Secretary-General António Guterres focused his remarks on principles, facts and “the way forward.”
Citing the United Nations Charter, he said all member states must refrain from the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any state, and stressed that international law and international humanitarian law must always be respected.
He condemned the large-scale military strikes carried out by the United States and Israel against Iran and subsequent Iranian attacks that violated the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Bahrain, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
“We are witnessing a serious threat to international peace and security,” the UN chief warned, stressing that there is no viable alternative to the peaceful resolution of international disputes.
Describing the situation on the ground as “very fluid,” Guterres said that around 20 Iranian cities – including Tehran, Isfahan, Qom, Shahriar and Tabriz – were reportedly targeted, and large explosions were reported in parts of Tehran, including in neighborhoods housing key public facilities.
Several senior officials were believed to have been killed, including – according to Israeli sources – Iran’s supreme leader, he said.
Citing Iranian media, the UN chief said at least 85 people had been killed in airstrikes, as military action quickly spread across the region. He added that people were injured in subsequent Iranian strikes against Israel, with impacts also felt in the occupied West Bank, and that Iran announced it had targeted U.S. military assets in the region in response to those attacks.
Indirect impacts from falling debris were reported in Lebanon and Syria, while most Gulf states intercepted the incoming strikes. The United Arab Emirates reported that a civilian was killed by debris.
Guterres noted that the US and Israeli attacks followed a third round of indirect talks between Washington and Tehran, mediated by Oman.
“I deeply regret that this diplomatic opportunity was wasted,” he said, calling for immediate de-escalation, a cessation of hostilities and a rapid return to negotiations, particularly on Iran’s nuclear program.
