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Remarks for Ms. Rosemary DiCarlo, Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs
Threats to international peace and security (TBC)
New York, 13 June 2025
Thank you Madame President,
Today, at approximately 3:15am local time, the Israeli military launched waves of airstrikes across Iran, targeting a number of locations, including residential areas in Tehran.
These attacks, which are reportedly continuing this afternoon, have targeted Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) headquarters, military bases, radar installations and nuclear facilities, among others.
They have reportedly caused significant damage, including reportedly dozens of civilian casualties.
In retaliation, Iran launched some 100 drones towards Israel, all of which were reportedly intercepted before reaching Israeli airspace. As I speak, there are reports of Iranian missiles heading towards Israel.
The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) called the attack a “precise, pre-emptive strike”, and declared an “imminent threat” from Iran’s nuclear program, while also announcing a domestic state of emergency.
According to the IDF, over 200 Israeli Air Force aircraft were involved in the opening strikes, dropping over 330 munitions on some 100 targets. Multiple nuclear installations were struck, including in Natanz, one of the central sites of Iran’s nuclear programme.
In a video message, Prime Minister Netanyahu said that Israeli forces also attacked Iran’s ballistic missile capabilities and top Iranian nuclear scientists. He stated that the attacks were intended to ward off an existential threat, vowing that the battle would continue for “as many days as it takes.”
The impact of these attacks has already been felt throughout the region, with neighboring countries closing their airspace and putting their security forces on high alert. The Houthis have reportedly launched missiles towards Israel, one of which has hit the occupied West Bank, causing injuries.
Many regional leaders have condemned the attack as a flagrant violation of international law and an escalation that is pushing the region toward more conflict and tension.
According to Iran’s state media and statements made by Iran’s Supreme Leader today, at least four top Iranian generals and three leading nuclear scientists were killed. A number of civilians have also reportedly been killed and injured. The Supreme Leader has promised “severe punishment” for Israel.
Madame President,
I reaffirm the Secretary-General’s condemnation of any military escalation in the Middle East. I also underline the obligation of Member States not to use force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any state and in accordance with the UN Charter and international law.
I reiterate the call by the Secretary-General to both sides to show maximum restraint at this critical moment and to avoid at all costs a descent into deeper and wider regional conflict.
Of particular concern is the strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities. It has been reported that the Natanz Enrichment Complex, which houses both the Fuel Enrichment Plant and the Pilot Fuel Enrichment Plant, suffered significant damage, including centrifuge cascade halls.
The International Atomic Energy Agency resolution adopted on 12 June, calls on Iran to meet its legal obligations and to fully cooperate with the IAEA to urgently remedy its non-compliance with its Safeguards Agreement.
Finally, the latest dangerous escalation follows some significant diplomatic developments. Talks between Iran and the US were to resume in Oman this weekend.
I encourage such diplomatic efforts to continue. A peaceful resolution through negotiations remains the best means to ensure the inclusively peaceful nature of Iran’s nuclear programme.
We must at all costs avoid a growing conflagration that would have enormous global consequences.
Thank you.
Secretary-General António Guterres condemned Israeli strikes in Iran late Thursday evening, urging ‘maximum restraint’ from Member States. The head of the UN-backed atomic watchdog also highlighted the risk of a wider conflict.
Tens of thousands of people went missing in Syria over the past 50 years including during 14 years of civil war. Now, some families are able to live in hope as the Middle Eastern country emerges from the traumatic period of dictatorship and conflict.
Yemen cannot endure more years of division, economic collapse and human suffering, the UN’s top official on the crisis told the Security Council on Thursday, warning that “time is not on our side.”
A London-bound Air India jet carrying 242 people crashed moments after take-off from Ahmedabad on Thursday, reportedly killing more than 200 on board, with dozens still unaccounted for.
The General Assembly overwhelming backed a resolution on Thursday demanding an immediate, unconditional and permanent ceasefire in Gaza, the release of all hostages and resumption of humanitarian aid to stave off famine. There were 149 votes in favour, 12 against – including Israel and the US – and 19 abstentions. App users can follow our live coverage here.
The UN-backed atomic watchdog voted through a resolution on Thursday declaring that Iran is not complying with its obligations regarding nuclear non-proliferation.
Meeting in emergency session on Thursday in New York, the UN General Assembly overwhelmingly adopted a resolution demanding an immediate, unconditional and lasting ceasefire in Gaza.
A Cambodian woman who grew up amid landmines now clears them as a UN peacekeeper in Lebanon. A Sudanese civil society leader rallies displaced women to reclaim their voices in peacebuilding. Young activists from the divided communities of Cyprus foster dialogue and understanding in a deeply complex and long-standing conflict. These are just a few of the extraordinary stories captured in Through Her Lens: Women Rising for Peace, a striking photo exhibition that premiered on 7 June 2025 at Brooklyn Bridge Park as part of the Photoville Festival.
A joint initiative of the UN Department of Peace Operations (DPO), UN Women, the Elsie Initiative Fund, and the UN Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs (DPPA), in partnership with Photoville, the exhibit highlights the stories of women as leaders, negotiators, and protectors in conflict-affected societies — told through the lenses of women photographers from those very communities.
“Too often, women in conflict are portrayed only as victims,” said Natasha Lamoreux of UN Women. “But these photographs tell a different story. They show women as peacekeepers, negotiators, human rights defenders — leaders actively shaping peace.”
From Sudan to Cyprus, Haiti to Lebanon, the UN collaborated with local women photographers who not only document the lives of women but also share in their struggles, striving to build peace in their communities, which creates an intimate and powerful perspective.
“This exhibit is the culmination of months of partnership between the four organizing entities as well as between headquarters and field-based colleagues,” said Shatha Hussein from the UN Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs. “We worked on very difficult contexts and turbulent situations that are changing by the day. So working with women on the ground to amplify their efforts through this initiative was not easy in any of the contexts featured, but their commitment, despite the odds, made this possible.”
Preparing this exhibit has been a profound challenge — one that mirrors the obstacles women face daily in conflict zones. Intense fighting spiked early this year in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo and South Sudan as the photoshoots were being planned.
“These images are more than art — they are a collective story of resilience, acts of resistance, and transformation,” said Sophie Boudre of the UN Department of Peace Operations. “They declare that women’s rights must be protected, their leadership recognized, and their voices heard wherever peace is made.”
Rooted in the Women, Peace and Security agenda launched by UN Security Council Resolution 1325, the exhibit underscores both the critical roles women play in peacebuilding and the persistent challenges they face — including a rising global backlash against gender equality.
The Through Her Lens exhibit is on view through 22 June 2025 at Pier 1 of the Brooklyn Bridge Park. It will also be shown at UN Headquarters in time for a Security Council open debate on Women, Peace and Security at the end of October. Importantly, the exhibit will travel to the regions featured in the photographs — bringing these powerful stories full circle.
To view the exhibit online, visit https://www.un.org/en/exhibits/exhibit/through-her-lens
Civilian deaths and injuries in the first five months of 2025 were nearly 50 per cent higher than the same period last year, UN rights experts tasked with monitoring abuses in war-torn Ukraine said on Wednesday in their latest report.
Civilian deaths and injuries in the first five months of 2025 were nearly 50 per cent higher than the same period last year, UN rights experts tasked with monitoring abuses in war-torn Ukraine said on Wednesday in their latest report.
The top UN official in Iraq reiterated his confidence in the resilience of the country’s people, and the determination of their leaders, in a briefing to the Security Council on Tuesday.
Nearly three months after a catastrophic earthquake struck Myanmar, the country continues to grapple with its aftermath alongside the brutal civil war which has devastated the country since the February 2021 military coup.
The Israeli military’s destruction of Gaza’s education and cultural infrastructure amount to war crimes and the crime against humanity of extermination, a UN investigative body said on Tuesday, as humanitarian agencies warned of continued mass suffering across the Strip.
The very real risk of famine continues to stalk Sudan’s communities impacted by war, the UN World Food Programme (WFP) said on Tuesday, in an appeal for more funding to support immediate needs and boost longer-term recovery across the country.
Despite its wealth of natural resources and potential, Central Africa continues to face serious challenges, from political instability to growing humanitarian needs.
The head of the UN-backed nuclear watchdog has raised fresh concerns over Iran’s failure to fully cooperate with inspections, warning that this is preventing independent verification of its nuclear activities.
Whether it’s their first time or a routine part of their life, menstruation has become a nightmare for women and girls in Gaza. The conditions they are forced to endure - displacement, overcrowded shelters, and lack of basic hygiene - have turned a natural biological process into a monthly ordeal.
UNSCOL posted the following post on its X account:
Tonight’s strikes on the southern suburbs of Beirut generated renewed panic and fear on the eve of Eid Al-Adha. We again call for a halt to any actions that could further undermine the cessation of hostilities understanding and the implementation of United Nations Security Council resolution 1701 (2006). Established mechanisms and diplomatic instruments are at the disposal of all sides to...
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The UN’s top disarmament official has welcomed signs of increased cooperation from Syria’s interim authorities in efforts to eliminate the country’s chemical weapons once and for all, as preparations move forward for a third round of inspections by international experts.
The lack of food entering Gaza caused by ongoing Israeli aid restrictions is leaving increasing numbers of Palestinians “vulnerable to starvation”, with daily energy intake now well below what a human body needs to survive, the UN warned on Thursday.
In Ukraine, overnight attacks continued into Thursday morning, resulting in 45 casualties and significant damage to civilian infrastructure, the UN has reported.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres on Thursday urged world leaders to revive efforts toward a two-State solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, warning that there is no alternative.
A draft resolution calling for an immediate and permanent ceasefire in Gaza failed to pass in the UN Security Council on Wednesday after the United States cast its veto – blocking the initiative backed by all ten elected members of the Council.
The United States has vetoed a new draft resolution on Gaza, standing as the lone vote against the text which called for an immediate, unconditional and permanent ceasefire, the unconditional release of hostages held by Hamas and others and the immediate lifting of all aid restrictions. Follow live coverage from our Meetings Coverage Section and UN News app users can follow here.
Amid reports of yet another deadly attack on a school in Gaza on Wednesday, the UN’s top aid official Tom Fletcher welcomed growing international calls for lifesaving aid work by established agencies to resume in the war-torn enclave.
Haiti has been gripped by spiralling gang violence ever since the 2021 assassination of President Jovenel Moïse. The subsequent unrest has displaced one million people, more than half of them children, according to the International Organization for Migration (IOM).
