UN SECURITY COUNCIL China, Russia, Pakistan criticize US over attack on Iran, call for ceasefire

(Patria) - The UN Security Council is holding a session after the United States bombed Iran's nuclear facilities overnight.

China's Ambassador to the UN, Fu Cong, told the UN Security Council that China "strongly condemns the US attacks on Iran and the bombing of nuclear facilities".

He called for an "immediate ceasefire" at a Sunday emergency meeting of the UN Security Council.

Ambassador Fu Cong said that China, Russia, and Pakistan have proposed a draft resolution "calling for an immediate and unconditional ceasefire, protection of civilians, respect for international law, and engagement in dialogue and negotiations".

He accused the US of violating the UN Charter, "international law, as well as the sovereignty, security, and territorial integrity of Iran", while exacerbating tensions in the Middle East and dealing a "heavy blow to the international nuclear non-proliferation regime".

He also called on all parties to abide by international law.

"Parties to the conflict, especially Israel, should achieve an immediate ceasefire to prevent a spiral escalation and resolutely avoid the spillover of war. Interested parties should abide by international law, restrain the impulse to use force, and avoid exacerbating the conflict and adding fuel to the fire," he added.

Britain's Ambassador to the UN, Barbara Woodward, said that a further spiral of conflict poses a serious risk to regional and international peace and stability.

"Our main priority now must be to support de-escalation,” she told the UN Security Council.

“The United Kingdom did not participate in the US or Israeli attacks,” she said.

“Military action alone cannot bring a lasting solution to concerns about Iran's nuclear program”.

Russia's Ambassador to the UN, Vasily Nebenzya, told the Security Council that the US "once again showed complete disregard for the position of the international community" with its attacks on Iranian nuclear facilities.

“They are ready not only to turn a blind eye to the deaths of tens of thousands of Palestinian women, children, and the elderly, but also to gamble with the safety and... the well-being of humanity as a whole.”

He said that with its actions in Iran, the US had opened a "Pandora's Box" from which "no one knows what new disaster and suffering it will bring".

“We now call on Iran to show restraint and call on all parties to return to the negotiating table and find a diplomatic solution.”

US Ambassador to the UN, Dorothy Shea, said that US military strikes were aimed at [Iranian] nuclear facilities... with the aim of dismantling Iran's uranium enrichment capacity.

"Iran has long concealed its nuclear weapons program and hindered sincere efforts in recent negotiations. The time has finally come for the United States, in defense of its ally and in defense of its own citizens and interests, to act decisively.

Iran should not escalate... any Iranian attack, direct or indirect, on Americans or US bases will be met with devastating retaliation," she stated.

"Pakistan has condemned the US attacks on Iranian nuclear facilities," the country's Ambassador to the UN, Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, told the UN Security Council.

"The sharp increase in tensions and violence as a result of Israeli aggression and illegal actions is deeply disturbing; any further escalation risks catastrophic consequences for the region and beyond," he said.

"Pakistan stands in solidarity with the government and the fraternal people of Iran during this challenging time," Ahmad said.

These comments come just a day after Pakistan said it would recommend US President Donald Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize.