Iran asks for emergency meeting of U.N. Security Council over U.S. strikes

Iran’s Ambassador to the United Nations called on Sunday (June 22, 2025) for an emergency Security Council meeting for what he described as America’s “heinous attacks and illegal use of force” against Iran.

In a letter, obtained by the AP, Ambassador Amir Saeid Iravani, said that the UN’s most powerful body must “take all necessary measures” to hold the U.S. accountable under international law and the U.N. charter.

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“The Islamic Republic of Iran condemns and denounces in the strongest possible terms these unprovoked and premeditated acts of aggression, which have followed the large-scale military attack conducted by the Israeli regime on 13 June against Iran’s peaceful nuclear sites and facilities,” the letter continued.

Earlier, the United States struck three sites in Iran early Sunday, inserting itself into Israel’s war aimed at destroying the country’s nuclear program in a risky gambit to weaken a longtime foe despite fears of a wider regional conflict.

Addressing the nation from the White House, President Donald Trump asserted that Iran’s key nuclear were “completely and fully obliterated.” There was no independent damage assessment.

It was not clear whether the U.S. would continue attacking Iran alongside its ally Israel, which has been engaged in a nine-day war with Iran. Mr. Trump acted without congressional authorization, and he warned that there would be additional strikes if Tehran retaliated against U.S. forces.

“There will either be peace or there will be tragedy for Iran,” he said.

Iran’s top diplomat, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, warned in a post on X that the U.S. attacks “will have everlasting consequences” and that Tehran “reserves all options” to retaliate.