"The nuclear non-proliferation regime, which has underpinned international security for over half a century, is at stake," warns the IAEA chief.
The U.N. Security Council convened an emergency meeting Sunday in New York for a special session on “threats to international peace and security,” as the Middle East plunges into an unprecedented military escalation involving Israel, Iran, and now the United States.
The gravity of the situation prompted U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to attend in person — a rare move — to deliver a stark warning: “Two days ago, I called for a chance for peace. This plea was not heard. We now risk falling into an endless spiral of reprisals.”
Guterres: The Middle East “cannot endure another cycle of destruction”
Reacting to U.S. airstrikes on Iran’s Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan nuclear sites overnight Saturday, Guterres condemned what he called a “perilous turning point” and urged member states to act “immediately and with determination to end the hostilities.”
“We must act — now and resolutely — to stop the fighting and relaunch serious and sustained negotiations on Iran’s nuclear program,” he said. The people of the Middle East, he added, “cannot endure another cycle of destruction.” Guterres also called on Iran to fully comply with the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, which he described as a cornerstone of global security.
He laid out the stakes in plain terms: “One path leads to expanded war, increased human suffering, and grave damage to the international order. The other leads to de-escalation, diplomacy and dialogue.”
U.N. officials: Strikes threaten global security
Miroslav Jenča, U.N. assistant secretary-general for political affairs, called the strike “a dangerous escalation of an already devastating conflict” and “a direct threat to international peace and security.” He urged Iran to allow immediate access to nuclear sites for inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), adding that tunnels and buildings at Fordow had been hit, though full damage assessments were still pending.
Speaking via video from Vienna, IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi echoed the alarm. “The nuclear non-proliferation regime, which has underpinned international security for over half a century, is at stake,” he said.
Grossi confirmed that the U.S. used penetrative munitions at Fordow, Iran’s primary facility for enriching uranium to 60 percent, causing “acute degradation of nuclear safety,” though no radioactive leaks had been detected so far. He also cited significant damage to underground infrastructure and electrical systems at Isfahan, Arak, Tehran and Natanz.
He warned of the catastrophic risk posed by any strike on Iran’s Bushehr nuclear power plant, saying it could lead to “a massive radioactive leak across the region.” Grossi offered to travel to Iran immediately, adding, “Any solution requires a full understanding of the facts on the ground, and this can only be achieved through IAEA inspections.”
U.S. defends action, warns Iran
Taking the floor, U.S. chargé d’affaires Dorothy Shea defended the strikes, saying they aimed to “dismantle Iran’s nuclear enrichment capability and stop the nuclear threat posed by the world’s leading state sponsor of terrorism.”
“This operation was meant to eliminate an old but now rapidly escalating source of global insecurity and to support our ally Israel in our inherent right to collective self-defense under the U.N. Charter,” she said.
Shea issued a direct warning to Tehran: “Iran must not retaliate. As President Trump has said, any Iranian attack — direct or indirect — against Americans or U.S. bases will provoke a devastating response.”
Responding to accusations of hypocrisy from some member states, Shea cited an IAEA report outlining Iran’s breaches of its nuclear obligations, saying Tehran’s nuclear activities “are accelerating without credible civilian justification.” That report is expected to be at the center of Tuesday’s scheduled meeting on the implementation of Resolution 2231.
Final appeal from Guterres: “Peace must be chosen”
In a closing appeal, Guterres declared, “Peace cannot be imposed — it must be chosen. The world is at a crossroads. One path leads to war, the other to dialogue. We know which one is right. Let us act with urgency, restraint, and wisdom.”
As the world holds its breath, the U.N. is working to preserve what remains of diplomacy. But time, Guterres warned, is quickly running out.
