UN Chief Guterres Urges Peace as U.S. and Israel Launch Strikes on Iran Nuclear Sites

UNITED NATIONS — United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres issued a grave warning to world leaders during an emergency meeting of the U.N. Security Council on Sunday, urging them to step back from the brink of a potentially catastrophic war in the Middle East.

“We cannot – and must not – give up on peace,” Guterres said, as the conflict between Israel and Iran escalated to dangerous new levels with direct U.S. military involvement. The emergency session was convened at the request of Iran, following a series of Israeli strikes on Iranian facilities, including a missile attack on its Arak heavy water reactor just hours earlier.

Guterres stressed the urgency of halting hostilities immediately and returning to “serious, sustained negotiations” aimed at resolving concerns over Iran’s nuclear program. He called for a verifiable agreement with full access for International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) inspectors and a commitment to rebuild global trust.

“One path leads to wider war, and the other to de-escalation and dialogue,” he told the council. “We know which path is right.”

But just as diplomats gathered in New York, news broke of the latest—and most provocative—development: The U.S. military struck three Iranian nuclear sites early Sunday, inserting itself directly into Israel’s campaign to cripple Iran’s nuclear infrastructure.

President Donald Trump addressed the nation late Saturday, announcing the strikes and stating that America would stand with its allies in preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons. According to Iranian state media, the targets included the Fordo underground enrichment facility, the Isfahan uranium conversion center, and the Natanz enrichment site, long suspected by Western powers of being central to Iran’s nuclear ambitions.

The strikes reportedly involved American stealth bombers equipped with the 30,000-pound (13,600-kilogram) Massive Ordnance Penetrator—a specialized bunker-busting bomb designed to destroy fortified underground installations. American and Israeli intelligence sources have said that these strikes represent the best chance of neutralizing Iran’s heavily protected nuclear program.

Iran’s response was swift. In a strongly worded letter to the U.N. Security Council, Iran’s permanent representative, Amir Saeid Iravani, condemned the attacks, calling them blatant violations of international law and a threat to global peace and security.

“The international community, in particular the Security Council, must not remain silent as crimes of aggression are committed in broad daylight,” Iravani wrote. “Peaceful nuclear sites operating under IAEA safeguards have come under direct attack.”

Iran’s Foreign Minister warned that Iran “reserves the right to retaliate,” raising concerns that the conflict could spiral into a full-scale regional war involving not just Israel and Iran, but potentially drawing in the United States, Gulf states, and proxy groups across the Middle East.

As the Security Council meeting unfolded, deep divisions remained between world powers. While some members echoed Guterres’ call for restraint and dialogue, others voiced open support for Israel’s right to defend itself against Iranian aggression.

With the world teetering on the edge of a broader war, the next steps by Washington, Tehran, and Jerusalem will likely determine whether diplomacy can survive—or whether the Middle East is heading toward a new and dangerous chapter of conflict.