Security Council meets on Iran as Russia, China push for a ceasefire
UNITED NATIONS: The UN Security Council met on Sunday (Jun 22) to discuss US strikes on Iran's nuclear sites as Russia, China and Pakistan proposed the 15-member body adopt a resolution calling for an immediate and unconditional ceasefire in the Middle East.
It was not immediately clear when it could be put to a vote. The three countries circulated the draft text, said diplomats, and asked members to share their comments by Monday evening. A resolution needs at least nine votes in favour and no vetoes by the United States, France, Britain, Russia or China to pass.
The US is likely to oppose the draft resolution, seen by Reuters, which also condemns attacks on Iran's nuclear sites and facilities. The text does not name the United States or Israel.
"The bombing of Iranian nuclear facilities by the United States marks a perilous turn in a region that is already reeling," UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told the Security Council on Sunday. "We now risk descending into a rathole of retaliation after retaliation."
"We must act – immediately and decisively – to halt the fighting and return to serious, sustained negotiations on the Iran nuclear programme," Guterres said.
The world awaited Iran's response on Sunday after President Donald Trump said the US had "obliterated" Tehran's key nuclear sites, joining Israel in the biggest Western military action against the Islamic Republic since its 1979 revolution.
UN nuclear watchdog chief Rafael Grossi told the Security Council that while craters were visible at Iran's enrichment site buried into a mountain at Fordow, "no one - including the IAEA - is in a position to assess the underground damage."
Grossi said entrances to tunnels used for the storage of enriched material appear to have been hit at Iran's sprawling Isfahan nuclear complex, while the fuel enrichment plant at Natanz has been struck again.
"Iran has informed the IAEA there has been no increase in off-site radiation levels at all three sites," said Grossi, who heads the International Atomic Energy Agency.
Iran requested the UN Security Council meeting, calling on the 15-member body "to address this blatant and unlawful act of aggression, to condemn it in the strongest possible terms."
Israel's UN Ambassador Danny Danon said in a statement on Sunday that the US and Israel "do not deserve any condemnation, but rather an expression of appreciation and gratitude for making the world a safer place."
Danon told reporters before the council meeting that it was still early when it came to assessing the impact of the US strikes. When asked if Israel was pursuing regime change in Iran, Danon said: "That's for the Iranian people to decide, not for us."
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CNA
an hour ago
- CNA
UN chief warns of cycle of retaliation after US bombs Iran
United Nations chief Antonio Guterres warned on Sunday (Jun 23) against yet "another cycle of destruction" and retaliation following the US strikes on Iran's nuclear facilities, which he said marked a "perilous turn" in the region. "I have repeatedly condemned any military escalation in the Middle East," the secretary-general told an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council. "The people of the region cannot endure another cycle of destruction. And yet, we now risk descending into a rathole of retaliation after retaliation." Rafael Grossi, director of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), also called for restraint as he voiced fears over "potential widening" of the conflict. "We have a window of opportunity to return to dialogue and diplomacy. If that window closes, violence and destruction could reach unthinkable levels and the global non-proliferation regime as we know it could crumble and fall," Grossi said. Speaking to the Security Council by video link, he said there were visible craters at Iran's key Fordow nuclear facility, "indicating the use by the United States of America of ground-penetrating munitions". But Grossi noted that no one had been able to assess the underground damage at Fordow. He added that "armed attacks on nuclear facilities should never take place and could result in radioactive releases with grave consequences within and beyond the boundaries of the State which has been attacked". On Sunday, Russia, China and Pakistan circulated a draft resolution with other council members that calls for an "immediate ceasefire" in Iran. The text, seen by AFP, also "condemns in the strongest terms the attacks against peaceful nuclear sites and facilities." But the council is very much divided, with other members such as France and Britain instead calling for Iran to exercise restraint. Israel's UN ambassador, meanwhile, rejected the proposed resolution. "The US and Israel do not deserve any condemnation, but rather an expression of appreciation and gratitude for making the world a safer place," Danny Danon said. Amir Saeid Iravani, Iran's envoy to the UN, slammed the US for having "once again resorted to illegal force". Washington, he said, has "waged a war against my country, under a fabricated and absurd pretext: Preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons".
Straits Times
an hour ago
- Straits Times
Satellite images indicate severe damage to Fordow, but doubts remain about below-ground destruction
A closer satellite view shows holes and craters on a ridge at the Fordow underground complex after the US struck the underground nuclear facility on June 22. PHOTO: REUTERS A closer satellite view shows the ridge at Fordow underground complex after the US struck the underground nuclear facility on June 22. PHOTO: REUTERS A combination picture shows satellite images over the Fordow underground complex before and after the US struck the nuclear facility on June 20. PHOTO: REUTERS WASHINGTON - Commercial satellite imagery indicates the US attack on Iran's Fordow nuclear plant severely damaged - and possibly destroyed - the deeply-buried site and the uranium-enriching centrifuges it housed, but there was no confirmation, experts said on June 22. 'They just punched through with these MOPs,' said Mr David Albright, a former UN nuclear inspector who heads the Institute for Science and International Security, referring to the Massive Ordnance Penetrator bunker-busting bombs that the US said it dropped. 'I would expect that the facility is probably toast.' But confirmation of the below-ground destruction could not be determined, noted Mr Decker Eveleth, an associate researcher with the CNA Corporation who specialises in satellite imagery. The hall containing hundreds of centrifuges is 'too deeply buried for us to evaluate the level of damage based on satellite imagery,' he said. To defend against attacks such as the one conducted by US forces early on June 22, Iran buried much of its nuclear programme in fortified sites deep underground, including into the side of a mountain at Fordow. Satellite images show six holes where the bunker-busting bombs appear to have penetrated the mountain, and then ground that looks disturbed and covered in dust. The United States and Israel have said they intend to halt Tehran's nuclear programme. But a failure to completely destroy its facilities and equipment could mean Iran could more easily restart the weapons program that US intelligence and the UN International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) say it shuttered in 2003. 'Unusual activity' Several experts also cautioned that Iran likely moved a stockpile of near weapons-grade highly enriched uranium out of Fordow before the US strike and could be hiding it and other nuclear components in locations unknown to Israel, the US and UN nuclear inspectors. They noted satellite imagery from Maxar Technologies showing 'unusual activity' at Fordow on June 19 and June 20, with a long line of vehicles waiting outside an entrance of the facility. A senior Iranian source told Reuters on June 22 that most of the near weapons-grade 60 per cent highly enriched uranium had been moved to an undisclosed location before the US attack. 'I don't think you can with great confidence do anything but set back their nuclear programme by maybe a few years,' said Mr Jeffrey Lewis of the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey. 'There's almost certainly facilities that we don't know about.' Arizona Senator Mark Kelly, a Democrat and member of the Senate intelligence committee who said he had been reviewing intelligence every day, expressed the same concern. 'My big fear right now is that they take this entire programme underground, not physically underground, but under the radar,' he told NBC News. 'Where we tried to stop it, there is a possibility that this could accelerate it.' Iran long has insisted that its nuclear programme is for peaceful purposes. But in response to Israel's attacks, Iran's parliament is threatening to withdraw from the Non-Proliferation Treaty, the cornerstone of the international system that went into force in 1970 to stop the spread of nuclear weapons, ending cooperation with the IAEA. 'The world is going to be in the dark about what Iran may be doing,' said Mr Daryl Kimball, executive director of the Arms Control Association advocacy group. 'Double tap' Reuters spoke to four experts who reviewed Maxar Technologies satellite imagery of Fordow showing six neatly spaced holes in two groups in the mountain ridge beneath which the hall containing the centrifuges is believed to be located. General Dan Caine, chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, told reporters that seven B-2 bombers dropped 14 GBU-57/B MOPs, 30,000-pound precision-guided bombs designed to drive up to 200 feet (61 metres) into hardened underground facilities like Fordow, according to a 2012 congressional report. General Caine said initial assessments indicated that the sites suffered extremely severe damage, but declined to speculate about whether any nuclear facilities remained intact. Mr Eveleth said the Maxar imagery of Fordow and Mr Caine's comments indicated that the B-2s dropped an initial load of six MOPs on Fordow, followed by a 'double tap' of six more in the exact same spots. The US strike, dubbed Operation Midnight Hammer, also targeted Tehran's main uranium enrichment facility at Natanz, he said, and struck in Isfahan, the location of the country's largest nuclear research centre. There are other nuclear-related sites near the city. Israel had already struck Natanz and the Isfahan Nuclear Research Centre in its 10-day war with Iran. Mr Albright said in a post on X that Airbus Defence and Space satellite imagery showed that US Tomahawk cruise missiles severely damaged a uranium facility at Isfahan and an impact hole above the underground enrichment halls at Natanz reportedly caused by a Massive Ordnance Penetrator bunker-busting bomb that 'likely destroyed the facility'. He questioned the US use of cruise missiles in Isfahan, saying that those weapons could not penetrate a tunnel complex near the main nuclear research centre believed to be even deeper than Fordow. The IAEA said the tunnel entrances 'were impacted'. He noted that Iran recently informed the IAEA that it planned to install a new uranium enrichment plant in Isfahan. 'There may be 2,000 to 3,000 more centrifuges that were slated to go into this new enrichment plant,' he said. 'Where are they?' REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
CNA
2 hours ago
- CNA
Commentary: If Trump's China policy seems off, look at who he's listening to
HONG KONG: United States President Donald Trump believes China is on the brink of collapse. He's said as much repeatedly, claiming that Beijing is 'getting killed' by his tariffs, that Chinese factories are closing and that unemployment is soaring. As someone who's written about China's relations with the US for more than 30 years, I find it fascinating to observe how Mr Trump's bluster and bluffing tactics have failed to pressure China into submission in their trade war. More critically, his bullying approach seems to reflect a significant misunderstanding of China and its leadership, which could have negative implications for future bilateral discussions. This raises the question of whether Mr Trump is receiving sound advice regarding his strategy toward China. Some might argue that in his aggressive pursuit of an America First agenda, it is Mr Trump's prerogative to disregard how the rest of the world, including China, perceives his actions. While this may hold some truth, a review of Mr Trump's public speeches and social media posts reveals a profound misapprehension of China and its intentions. WHAT HOLDS UP, AND WHAT DOESN'T For instance, as soon as Beijing began its tit-for-tat retaliation against US tariff increases on Chinese imports in early April, Mr Trump took to his Truth Social platform to declare: 'China played it wrong, they panicked – the one thing they can't afford to do,' emphasising every word in capital letters. As China stood firm and vowed to 'fight till the end', Mr Trump claimed in a May interview that 'China is getting killed right now' and 'They're getting absolutely destroyed.' He asserted that China's economy 'is collapsing'. His claims are greatly exaggerated. Official data indicate that while China's exports did slow down in May, it still grew 4.8 per cent year-on-year, despite a 34.5 per cent drop in shipments to the US. And although industrial output growth eased from 6.1 per cent in April to 5.8 per cent in May, it remains robust, and retail sales - a key gauge of consumer demand - surged by 6.4 per cent in May, exceeding expectations. While China may be facing deflationary pressures, its economy is far from the collapse that Mr Trump imagines. Overall, he has drastically underestimated Beijing's political strategy and its willingness to endure short-term economic challenges. DONALD TRUMP'S CHINA INTEL Last month, Mr Trump reportedly downsized the National Security Council - which advises the president on foreign policy and national security matters - letting go of most of the China team, seemingly as part of a broader effort to reduce the influence of those who might oppose his America First agenda. This raises another important question: Where is he obtaining his information about China? Mr Trump's known affinity for Fox News is well-documented. He's appointed more than a dozen former Fox News hosts, journalists and commentators to senior positions during his second term in office. These include Pete Hegseth as Defense Secretary, former Fox pundit and US Representative Tulsi Gabbard as Director of National Intelligence, and former Fox Business host Sean Duffy as Transportation Secretary. Meanwhile, figures like Gordon Chang, who infamously predicted in 2001 that China would collapse by 2011 in his book The Coming Collapse of China, has continued to promote his disproven theories in that sphere. In April, Mr Trump posted a quote on Truth Social by Mr Chang - who has claimed in interviews that Beijing had everything to lose in a tariff war with Mr Trump - calling for more aggressive tariffs on China. Such misguided perspectives have undoubtedly complicated bilateral discussions between Washington and Beijing. Following talks in Geneva in May, both sides agreed to pause the tariff war and establish a framework for further negotiations. However, this framework quickly fell apart. From the US perspective, China imposed restrictions on critical mineral exports, including rare earth elements. Meanwhile, China viewed the US as continuing to introduce unfavourable measures, such as threatening to revoke Chinese student visas and suspending sales of technology and products used in assembling China's COMAC C919 aircraft. The standoff was finally resolved after Chinese President Xi Jinping agreed to speak with Mr Trump on Jun 5. Ironically, just a day earlier, Mr Trump had posted on Truth Social that Mr Xi was 'extremely hard to make a deal with'. This comment again suggests a limited understanding of China's political dynamics. While Mr Trump has made it clear that he wants to lead negotiations, China prefers that the outcomes be agreed upon beforehand. A 'DONE' DEAL? The phone call paved the way for discussions in London earlier this month, during which both sides appeared to agree on a new framework to implement the Geneva agreement. Mr Trump claimed in a Truth Social post that a deal had been reached with China, pending final approval from both him and Mr Xi. He seemingly suggested that China had agreed to supply US companies with magnets and rare earth metals, while the US would ease its threats regarding the revocation of Chinese student visas. However, there is more than meets the eye. It is hard to believe that China would agree to resume rare earth supplies solely in exchange for continued visa issuance for Chinese students. After all, control over rare earths - of which China processes 90 per cent globally - has become a significant leverage point against the US. It is more plausible that China will continue to push the US to relax restrictions on more advanced chips, even though US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent stated there would be no "quid pro quo" regarding easing curbs on AI chip exports to China in exchange for access to rare earths. Meanwhile, it is believed that Chinese companies are finding ways to acquire the latest AI chips, as the US restrictions have inadvertently created a booming black market for these supplies. One industry source likens the US restrictions on AI chips to the futility of the Prohibition era in the US. As one popular meme illustrates, Mr Trump declares, 'I hold the cards,' to which Mr Xi replies, 'The cards are made in China.'
