UN Security Council splits wide open over Iran war as global powers trade blame
Russia and China accuse the US and Israel of triggering the conflict, while Washington doubles down on support for Gulf allies amid fears of wider escalation
By Abdullahi Yusuf
UN Security Council members clashed sharply over the Middle East conflict, with Russia and China demanding an immediate halt to U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran while Washington reaffirmed its support for Gulf Cooperation Council states.
Russia’s UN envoy Vassily Nebenzia rejected criticism of Moscow’s stance and called the conflict “the direct result of an unprovoked act of aggression by the U.S. and Israel against the sovereign territory of the Islamic Republic of Iran.”
He urged a political solution and warned against further escalation: “It’s time to stop and put an end to this dangerous game of playing with fire, this fire which risks turning into a full-scale and not just a regional conflagration.”
China’s envoy Fu Cong said the origin of the war “lies in the use of force by the U.S. and Israel against Iran, which clearly violates the purposes and principles of the UN Charter.” However, Fu was careful to add that Beijing “does not go along with Iran’s attacks against GCC states and condemns all indiscriminate attacks against civilians and non-military targets.”
He warned that authorizing military force through the Council “would amount to legitimizing the unlawful and indiscriminate use of force” and would lead to further escalation.
U.S. envoy Mike Waltz pushed back, saying no country “certainly not a genocidal Iranian regime that massacres its own people and has spent decades sowing instability and violence around the world” should be able to hold global economies hostage.
He called for concrete support for Gulf states, pledging that Washington’s partners “can count on the United States to march alongside you for a better future.”
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