Pakistan-backed Security Council resolution seeks immediate de-escalation
• Amb Iftikhar terms targeting of nuclear sites clear breach of international law
• IAEA chief says such attacks may result in radioactive releases with great consequences
• Guterres calls US bombing ‘perilous turn’
UNITED NATIONS: Pakistan joined China and Russia in circulating a draft resolution at the UN Security Council demanding an immediate ceasefire, the protection of civilians and a return to diplomacy following US airstrikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities.
The strikes, which targeted Iran’s Fordow — where uranium is enriched to 60 per cent — and two other facilities have been described as a dangerous escalation with potential global ramifications.
Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, Pakistan’s permanent representative to the UN, told an emergency session of the Council: “Pakistan has condemned the US strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities, which come on the heels of a series of brazen attacks by Israel.”
He added that specific targeting of nuclear facilities under International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) safeguards constitutes a clear breach of international law and poses a “grave threat to the safety and security of populations across the region — and indeed, the world”.
He urged the Council to act “urgently and decisively” to reject and condemn the attacks, reaffirm protection of civilians and support a diplomatic settlement to the Iranian nuclear issue.
IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi told the Council that craters were visible at the site, indicating the use of ground-penetrating munitions in the early Sunday attacks.
“At this time, no one, including the IAEA, is in a position to assess the underground damage at Fordow,” Mr Grossi said, while warning: “Armed attacks on nuclear facilities should never take place and could result in radioactive releases with great consequences within and beyond the boundaries of the State which has been attacked.”
UN Secretary-General António Guterres called the bombing “a perilous turn” and called for “an immediate ceasefire and a return to serious, sustained negotiations.”
He cautioned, “The people of the region cannot endure another cycle of destruction. And yet, we now risk descending into a rathole of retaliation after retaliation. To avoid it, diplomacy must prevail. Civilians must be protected. Safe maritime navigation must be guaranteed.”
Mr Guterres emphasised that peace efforts must not be abandoned: “We cannot and must not give up on peace.” He urged member states to take “immediate, decisive action to end fighting” and to commit to meaningful dialogue.
The emergency session was convened at Iran’s request and backed by Pakistan, which described its initiative as “a principled stand to uphold international law and protect regional stability”.
Draft resolution
Against this backdrop, Pakistan, China and Russia have tabled a draft resolution calling for de-escalation and protection of Iran’s nuclear infrastructure. Although the draft was not scheduled for vote during Sunday’s emergency session, it lays the groundwork for a broader diplomatic push.
Reaffirming the UN Charter and the prohibition on the use of force, the draft “condemns in the strongest terms the attacks against peaceful nuclear sites and facilities under IAEA safeguards in the Islamic Republic of Iran” and warns such strikes “represent a grave threat to international peace and security”.
The resolution further calls for “an immediate and unconditional ceasefire” and urges all parties to “refrain from further escalation”. It places particular emphasis on the “urgent protection of civilians and civilian infrastructure,” reminding all parties of their obligations under international law.
Significantly, the draft urges the resumption of diplomatic negotiations over Iran’s nuclear programme, pushing for an agreement that ensures the programme remains “exclusively peaceful”. In exchange, it demands the “complete lifting of all sanctions — both multilateral and unilateral — a clause that aligns with Iran’s longstanding demands and is expected to face resistance from Western members of the Council.
Calls for urgent diplomacy
Briefing the Council, Miroslav Jena, UN’s Assistant Secretary-General for Europe, Central Asia and the Americas, said: “The world will also not be spared from the ramifications of this dangerous conflict … This latest development must be viewed with the utmost seriousness. It marks a dangerous escalation in a conflict that has already devastated many lives in both countries, in a region on the edge.”
Published in Dawn, June 23rd, 2025