The United States' bombing of Iran's nuclear facilities marks a "perilous turn" in an already volatile region, Secretary-General António Guterres warned during an emergency meeting of the Security Council today. The United Nations' top nuclear watchdog official also cautioned that violence could reach "unthinkable levels", and that the global non-proliferation regime "as we know it could crumble and fall".
"We now risk descending into a rathole of retaliation after retaliation," Mr. Guterres warned the 15-member Council. "To avoid it, diplomacy must prevail," he stressed.
He called for civilians to be protected and for safe maritime navigation to be guaranteed, calling for the immediate and decisive halt in fighting and a return to "serious, sustained negotiations" on the Iran nuclear programme.
"We need a credible, comprehensive and verifiable solution - one that restores trust - including with full access to inspectors of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)," he went on to say.
The Non-Proliferation Treaty is a cornerstone of international peace and security, and Iran must fully respect it. For their part, Member States must act in accordance with their obligations under the UN Charter and other rules of international law, including international humanitarian law, Mr. Guterres stated.
Dangerous Moment Has Arrived
Miroslav Jenča, Assistant Secretary-General for Europe, Central Asia and Americas, Departments of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs and Peace Operations, also briefing the Council, called the United States military strikes against the Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan nuclear facilities in Iran a "dangerous escalation" in a conflict that has already devastated many lives.
"I fear we are now in that dangerous moment," he told Council members, noting that just hours after the United States strikes, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said it had launched some 40 missiles at Israel. Israel has also said it launched a series of strikes against military targets in Iran, including in Tehran, Tabriz and Yazd. Earlier on 21 June, Israel attacked, for a second time since 13 June, the Isfahan nuclear complex, hitting six buildings.
According to Iran's Ministry of Health, as of 21 June, 430 people have been killed and more than 3,500 others injured due to Israeli strikes across Iran. "Most have been civilians," he said. According to Israeli authorities, 25 Israelis have been killed and 1,300 more have been injured since the beginning of exchanges with Iran.
"The Middle East cannot afford yet another violent conflict where civilians pay the price of military confrontation," he said, echoing the Secretary-General's call on Member States, and on the members of the Security Council, to de-escalate and to uphold their obligations under the UN Charter, notably the obligation to settle their international disputes by peaceful means. "We need diplomacy, de-escalation and confidence-building now," he emphasized.
Craters Visible at Iran's Main Uranium Enrichment Site
Rafael Mariano Grossi, IAEA's Director General, said that craters are visible at the Fordow site - Iran's main location for enriching uranium at 60 per cent, indicating the use by the United States of ground penetrating munitions. "At this time, no one, including the IAEA, is in a position to assess the underground damage at Fordow," he added.
At the Isfahan nuclear site, additional buildings were hit overnight, with the United States confirming their use of cruise missiles. Affected buildings include some related to the uranium conversion process. "Also at this site, entrances to tunnels used for the storage of enriched material appear to have been hit," he said. At the Natanz enrichment site, the fuel enrichment plant has been hit again, with the United States confirming that it used ground penetrating munitions.
Iran has informed the IAEA that there has been no increase in off-site radiation levels at these three sites, he said, urging Iran to maintain its "indispensable contact" with the IAEA incident and emergency centre. "Armed attacks on nuclear facilities should never take place and could result in radioactive releases with great consequences within and beyond the boundaries of the State which has been attacked," he warned, reiterating his previous calls from 48 hours ago for maximum restraint and a return to diplomacy.
With the Council's support, IAEA can deploy nuclear safety and security experts to Iran in addition to safeguards inspectors wherever they are needed. "Let us not allow the window to close on diplomacy," he said. "We will not be safer if there are more nuclear weapons in more States around the world," he concluded.
