The United Nations Security Council has adopted a draft resolution condemning Iran’s attacks on Gulf countries and Jordan, calling on Tehran to immediately halt hostilities in the region.
The resolution, sponsored by the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), received strong support on Wednesday, with 13 of the 15 council members voting in favour. Two members — China and Russia — abstained, while no country voted against the measure.
According to reports from UN headquarters in New York, the resolution was also co-sponsored by an unprecedented 135 other UN member states, marking one of the broadest levels of international backing ever recorded for a Security Council draft resolution.
The measure strongly condemns Iran’s military actions and demands an immediate cessation of hostilities. It also criticises Tehran for targeting key infrastructure, including ports and energy facilities across the Gulf region.
Following the vote, Iran’s ambassador to the UN, Amir-Saeid Iravani, expressed “profound regret” over the council’s decision, calling it a serious blow to the credibility of the Security Council.
“This is a deeply regrettable day for the Security Council and for the international community,” Iravani said, arguing that the resolution represented a misuse of the council’s mandate. He accused the United States of waging a “barbaric war” against Iran and blamed Washington and Israel for initiating the conflict, including the killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
Iravani claimed that since the US-Israeli attacks began on February 28, more than 1,348 civilians had been killed and over 17,000 injured in Iran. He also alleged that more than 19,000 civilian sites, including homes and hospitals, had been damaged.
Meanwhile, Russia’s UN ambassador Vassily Nebenzia explained that Moscow abstained because it viewed the resolution as “extremely unbalanced” and unlikely to contribute to international peace and security.
China’s ambassador to the UN, Zhang Jun, also criticised the conflict, stating that the military actions lacked legitimacy and legal basis. He called on the United States and Israel to halt their attacks in order to prevent further escalation in the Middle East.
In a separate vote on Wednesday, the Security Council also rejected a draft resolution proposed by Russia that called for all sides in the Middle East to cease military action.
Source: Al Jazeera
