(Full Meeting) Escalation Risks in the Middle East | Security Council | United Nations

The people of the Middle East are facing a “real danger of a devastating full-scale conflict,” António Guterres said, urging “maximum restraint” across a region “on the brink”, hours after Iran launched attack drones and missiles against Israel overnight Saturday.

United States Ambassador Robert Wood told the Council that the US “is not seeking escalation,” and added that its actions “have been purely defensive in nature.”

Wood said, “the best way to prevent such escalation is an unambiguous condemnation from the Council of Iran’s unprecedented, large scale attack and an unequivocal call on its proxies and partners to refrain from further violence.”

He said the United States’ goal is “to deescalate and then get back to the issue at hand, securing an end to the conflict in Gaza, by getting a ceasefire in Gaza through a hostage deal, as well as surging humanitarian assistance to Palestinians in need.”

Russian Ambassador Vasily Nebenzya told the Council that “what happened in the night of the 14th of April did not happen in a vacuum,” and stressed that “the steps undertaken by Iran were in reaction to the disgraceful inaction of the Security Council, in reaction to an egregious attack by Israel against Damascus, and not the first one, because Syria is constantly being bombarded by Israel.”

Israeli Ambassador Gilad Erdan said, “the mask of Iranian deniability has been removed.”

Erdan said, “nomore hiding and no more bluffing, no more shirking of responsibility. Iran has attacked Israel from its own sovereign territory, publicly and proudly. The mask is off. Iran the number one global sponsor of terror has exposed its true face as the destabilizer of the region and the world.”

He said, “right now, is when the world must stop ignoring Iran's crimes and take action.”

Erdan said Saturday night’s attacks had been launched from Iranian soil, Lebanon, Syria, Yemen and Iraq.

For his part, Iranian Ambassador Saeed Iravani said, “this concluded action was necessary and proportionate. It was precise and only targeted military objectives and carried out carefully to minimize the potential for escalation and prevent civilian harm.”

Iravani said, “the Islamic Republic of Iran reiterates its consistent position that it does not seek escalation or war in the region, while warning about any further military provocation by the Israeli regime. The Islamic Republic of Iran reaffirms its unwavering determination to defend its people, national security and interest, sovereignty and territorial integrity against any threat or act of aggression and to respond to any such threat or aggression vigorously and in accordance with international law. The Islamic Republic of Iran will not hesitate to exercise this right when required.”