- Pakistan urges immediate stop 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, which met in an emergency session at the request of France, China, Russia, Bahrain and Colombia on Saturday night.
Israel and the United States launched attacks on Iran on Saturday, plunging the Middle East into renewed 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 against 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 violated international law, took place at a time when renewed diplomatic efforts were being made to reach a peaceful and negotiated solution.
At the same time, Ambassador Ahmad condemned Iran’s attacks on Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, stressed that Pakistan stands in solidarity with them and underlined the need for all parties to exercise maximum restraint.
He said it was especially unfortunate that some of these countries had been supporting 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 United Arab Emirates during the attacks.
“We urge all parties to refrain from 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 escalation and urgently resume diplomacy with a view to achieving a peaceful resolution to the crisis.
Expressing condolences to the civilians caught in the violence, he said Pakistan’s thoughts were with the schoolchildren in Iran, civilians in other parts of 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, noting 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 of international law, including international humanitarian law.
Reiterating that the security of millions of people across the region remained a top priority, Ambassador Ahmad said Pakistan maintained close contact and coordination with brotherly and neighboring countries, including at the leadership level, and stood ready to support efforts aimed at peaceful resolution of outstanding issues.
He said Pakistan has consistently upheld the primacy of peaceful dispute resolution and the need to avoid confrontation and conflict in a region already beset by tensions and volatility, and emphasized that dialogue and diplomacy must remain the guiding principles of any negotiated agreement.
Opening the debate, UN Secretary General António Guterres focused his comments on principles, facts and “the way out.”
Citing the UN 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 emphasized that international law and international humanitarian law must always be respected.
He condemned the large-scale military attacks 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 around 20 cities across Iran, including Tehran, Isfahan, Qom, Shahriar and Tabriz, were reportedly attacked, and large explosions were reported in parts of Tehran, including districts housing key state facilities.
Several senior officials were reported killed, including, according to Israeli sources, the Supreme Leader of Iran, he said.
Citing Iranian media, the UN chief said at least 85 people were killed in airstrikes, while military action was rapidly expanding across the region. He added that people were injured in Iran’s subsequent attacks on Israel, the impacts of which were also felt in the occupied West Bank, and that Iran had announced that it had attacked US military assets in the region in response to the attacks.
Indirect impacts from falling debris were reported in Lebanon and Syria, while most Gulf states intercepted incoming attacks. The United Arab Emirates reported that one civilian was killed by debris.
Guterres noted that the US and Israeli strikes followed a third round of indirect talks between Washington and Tehran mediated by Oman.
“I deeply regret that this opportunity for diplomacy was wasted,” he said, calling for an immediate reduction in tensions, a cessation of hostilities and a quick return to negotiations, including on the Iranian nuclear program.
