Statement by Permanent Representative Vassily Nebenzia at UNSC Briefing in connection with US and Israeli Strikes against Iran

Statement by Permanent Representative Vassily Nebenzia at UNSC Briefing in connection with US and Israeli Strikes against Iran. Main points:

The aggression to which Iran has been subjected today has already spurred the escalation in the region and is liable to spill over far beyond the region, especially given that one of the two initiators of this military misadventure is far from being a State of the region. Attempts by the British presidency to artificially “downplay” the magnitude of danger of the current situation are simply unacceptable.

The Presidency also grossly scorned Russia and China's request to invite Jeffrey Sachs, professor of Columbia University, as a briefer at today's meeting. Normally, our British colleagues invariably assert the importance of involving civil society representatives in Security Council meetings whenever possible. But obviously, this does not apply to cases whereby internationally recognized academics can reveal the truth that may turn out unflattering to Western governments.

In recent hours, we have witnessed another extremely dangerous surge in escalation in the Middle East. In the early hours of February 28, the United States and Israel began launching massive military strikes on the territory of Iran. It was publicly declared that one of the targets of the attack was the country's senior political leadership, as well as civilian nuclear facilities. In real time we are getting reports from the Iranian authorities about casualties, including among civilians: more than 200 people have died in 24 provinces of the country. We were particularly grieved to learn about the strike targeting a girls' school in Minab, where 85 children are reported to have been killed. We express our sincere condolences to the families and loved ones of the victims and we wish a speedy recovery to the injured. Our country is taking all necessary steps to ensure the safety and security of Russian citizens who are currently in the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI).

The actions taken by Washington and West Jerusalem are nothing but yet another unprovoked act of armed aggression against a sovereign and independent UN Member State, in violation of the UN Charter and of the fundamental principles of international law. Such actions are openly geared towards further meddling in Iran's internal affairs and destroying the State that is “disfavored” by the West. As we warned previously, this reckless move by the United States and Israel has triggered a sharp escalation of the situation throughout the region, affecting Bahrain, Jordan, Qatar, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Syria and Saudi Arabia.

Moreover, the US and Israel’s military operation is a genuine betrayal of diplomacy. Yet again, these countries are bringing to bear military force against Iran at the very height of negotiations – just as they did in June 2025. As recently as the day before yesterday, on February 26, Geneva hosted the latest round of US-Iranian talks facilitated by Oman. As Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Arakchi noted, the parties agreed to continue the dialogue. For our part, we emphasize that the Russian side has repeatedly received signals that Israel has no interest whatsoever in a military confrontation with Iran. And now, despite its willingness to engage in the diplomatic process, Tehran is once again being stabbed in the back. Moreover, Washington has been regorously building up its military presence in the region for a very long time, which only attests to the fact that the aggression against Iran was plotted in advance.

The actions of the US and Israel risk spiraling into a humanitarian and economic catastrophe. Of particular concern, once again, are the threats to nuclear and radiological safety and security.

US President Donald Trump has announced today that this operation is aimed at preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons. But such claims are ungrounded. Tehran has consistently stated that it has no such plans and is complying with its obligations under the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). Moreover, Iran has repeatedly stressed its readiness to place the preservation of its status as a non-nuclear-weapon state at the heart of new agreements with the US, provided that Iran's legitimate right as a state party to the NPT to develop peaceful nuclear technologies is respected and upheld.

Against this backdrop, we deem completely unfounded all the attempts by Western countries to justify this US-Israeli aggression by citing alleged threats to international peace and security supposedly emanating from Iran's nuclear program. We can’t but recall here that the only credible sources of information on this matter are the relevant reports of the IAEA Director General. And these reports have never indicated that Iran could be developing nuclear weapons. The facilities being hit are under the Agency's safeguards, which means that they cannot, a priori, be used for such activities. We expect that the IAEA Director General, Rafael Grossi, will give unambiguous assessments and will condemn this yet another act by the USA and Israel to undermine the authority of the NPT and the global non-proliferation regime as a whole.

Under no circumstances can nuclear facilities, including the Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant, be targeted by armed forces. That is unacceptable.

We note that what was being done today is the latest phase of consistent escalatory moves taken by Western countries against Iran. These moves include the US-Israeli strikes against the country's territory in June 2025 and the open interference of the US and its allies in Iran's domestic political situation this past January. We also remember the failed attempts by the United Kingdom, France, and Germany to trigger the mechanism for reinstating anti-Iranian Security Council resolutions, that is the “snapback” mechanism. That did not happen owing to the efforts of Russia and a number of other UN member States who repeatedly and exhaustively explained why the UK, France and Germany had no right to invoke that mechanism.

However, none of this worked out, and the US and Israel once again resorted to the use of military force. What immediately comes to mind are obvious parallels with the events of 2003, when US representatives were trying to justify the US invasion of Iraq by waving a vial with some powder in this very chamber, alleging that Iraq possessed weapons of mass destruction, which no one ever found. In 2023, future US Vice President Jay D. Vance said that the Iraq campaign was “unforced,” that innocent Iraqis and Americans died as a result of it, and that Washington needed to learn this lesson. However, as it turned out, this lesson was never learned.

In the statements of our European colleagues (we will hear more of them today), we do not hear words of condemnation for the aggression, nor do we hear about the deaths of many Iranian civilians. What we hear instead are, for example, the words by French President Emmanuel Macron: «The Iranian regime must understand that it now has no other option but to engage in good faith negotiations to end its nuclear and ballistic programs, as well as its regional destabilization activities». Similar assessments were voiced by British Prime Minister Keir Starmer. These absurd statements were then underpinned by a joint statement by the leaders of the UK, France, and Germany, who condemned only “Iran's strikes on countries in the region.”

Colleagues, just think for a moment – this is being said at a time when Iran has been subjected to military attack in the midst of active negotiating process. The hypocrisy of our European colleagues knows no bounds. This is not even a case of “double standards”; it is some kind of parallel reality or the other side of the looking glass. In the English language, there is a term that perfectly describes this situation – “victim-blaming.” One gets the impression that London, Paris, and Berlin are living in “la-la land” they created for themselves, trying to make the whole world believe in their illusions. However, attempts to mislead the international community are doomed to failure – any sane person is perfectly aware of who is responsible for the latest unchecked escalation.

We demand that the United States and Israel immediately cease their aggressive actions. There are no and will never be any alternatives to a peaceful and diplomatic resolution of the Iranian issue, including its nuclear component. We insist on the immediate resumption of political and diplomatic settlement efforts in pursuit for solutions based on international law, mutual respect, and balance of interests. Russia stands ready to provide all necessary support for such efforts.

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