Putin Roars ‘VIOLATION' At Trump, Blasts U.S. Attack On Iran In ‘Strongest' Condemnation

Russia has slammed the U.S. strikes on Iran's nuclear sites as a 'gross violation' of international law and the UN Charter. The Russian Foreign Ministry condemned the attack as reckless and unacceptable, especially coming from a permanent UN Security Council member. Moscow warned that such actions could trigger dangerous regional instability.

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Hindustan Times

35 minutes ago

• Hindustan Times

UN Security Council meets on Iran as Russia, China push for a ceasefire

The UN Security Council met on Sunday to discuss US strikes on Iran's nuclear sites as Russia, China and Pakistan proposed the 15-member body adopt a resolution calling for an immediate and unconditional ceasefire in the Middle East. General view of a United Nations Security Council emergency meeting in New York on June 22, 2025, one day after US strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities.(AFP) It was not immediately clear when it could be put to a vote. The three countries circulated the draft text, said diplomats, and asked members to share their comments by Monday evening. A resolution needs at least nine votes in favor and no vetoes by the United States, France, Britain, Russia or China to pass. The US is likely to oppose the draft resolution, seen by Reuters, which also condemns attacks on Iran's nuclear sites and facilities. The text does not name the United States or Israel. "The bombing of Iranian nuclear facilities by the United States marks a perilous turn in a region that is already reeling," U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told the Security Council on Sunday. "We now risk descending into a rathole of retaliation after retaliation." "We must act – immediately and decisively – to halt the fighting and return to serious, sustained negotiations on the Iran nuclear programme," Guterres said. The world awaited Iran's response on Sunday after President Donald Trump said the US had "obliterated" Tehran's key nuclear sites, joining Israel in the biggest Western military action against the Islamic Republic since its 1979 revolution. UN nuclear watchdog chief Rafael Grossi told the Security Council that while craters were visible at Iran's enrichment site buried into a mountain at Fordow, "no one - including the IAEA - is in a position to assess the underground damage." Grossi said entrances to tunnels used for the storage of enriched material appear to have been hit at Iran's sprawling Isfahan nuclear complex, while the fuel enrichment plant at Natanz has been struck again. "Iran has informed the IAEA there has been no increase in off-site radiation levels at all three sites," said Grossi, who heads the International Atomic Energy Agency. Iran requested the UN Security Council meeting, calling on the 15-member body "to address this blatant and unlawful act of aggression, to condemn it in the strongest possible terms." Israel's UN Ambassador Danny Danon said in a statement on Sunday that the US and Israel "do not deserve any condemnation, but rather an expression of appreciation and gratitude for making the world a safer place." Danon told reporters before the council meeting that it was still early when it came to assessing the impact of the US strikes. When asked if Israel was pursuing regime change in Iran, Danon said: 'That's for the Iranian people to decide, not for us.'

Mint

an hour ago

• Mint

Iranian President Pezeshkian says Americans ‘must receive a response' after US strikes on nuclear sites

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian issued a stern warning to the United States on Sunday (June 22) following early morning airstrikes on Iran's major nuclear sites by American forces. 'The Americans must receive a response to their aggression,' Pezeshkian told French President Emmanuel Macron, according to state-run IRNA. In a post on social media platform X, Pezeshkian also sought to rally the Iranian public: 'We walk this path together; We preserve #Iran together; And we will show the world that this great nation is #unbreakable. Being together is our victory….' Following the strikes on Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan, the Iranian government reiterated its right to defend itself 'by all necessary means.' Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei condemned the attack in a detailed statement posted to X, calling it an 'unconscionable act of aggression – perpetrated by a nuclear-armed state... against a non-nuclear weapon country.' He further accused the US of violating international norms: 'It has now become completely evident that the U.S. government has colluded with a war criminal and genocidal warmonger... This is a blatant violation of international law, the United Nations Charter, and the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons.' Ali Shamkhani, a senior adviser to Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, downplayed the effectiveness of the US strikes, claiming that Iran's nuclear capability remains intact. 'Even if nuclear sites are destroyed, game isn't over. Enriched materials, indigenous knowledge, and political will remain,' Shamkhani said. He added a cryptic warning: 'The political and operational initiative is now with the side that plays smart, avoids blind strikes. Surprises will continue!' Iran's Health Ministry said contingency plans were in place at hospitals near nuclear sites, but none of the casualties treated showed signs of radiation exposure. 'Fortunately, none of the casualties sent to these centers after the American bombing had radiation contamination,' said ministry spokesperson Hossein Kermanpour on X. 'For years, the Ministry of Health has established #nuclear_emergencies units in the nearest medical facilities to nuclear sites.' In a dramatic escalation of Middle East tensions, the United States launched precision airstrikes on Iran's nuclear sites early Sunday under Operation Midnight Hammer. The operation, personally authorized by President Donald Trump, targeted Iran's heavily fortified Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan facilities — all previously reported to be enriching uranium near weapons-grade levels. 'There will either be peace, or there will be tragedy for Iran,' Trump said in a televised address, defending the decision as a necessary measure to stop what he called "the world's most dangerous regime" from acquiring nuclear weapons. The strikes were carried out without prior congressional approval. Trump warned Iran against retaliating, saying any further aggression would be met with even more devastating force. US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Sunday said American airstrikes on Iran's nuclear facilities achieved their objectives, particularly at the heavily fortified Fordow site, delivering a significant blow to Tehran's uranium enrichment infrastructure. Speaking at a Pentagon press briefing, Hegseth said: 'The battle damage assessment is ongoing, but our initial assessment, as the chairman said, is that all of our precision munitions struck where we wanted them to strike and had the desired effect, which means especially in Fordow, which was the primary target here, we believe we achieved destruction of capabilities there.' The Defense Secretary clarified that the mission — part of Operation Midnight Hammer — was focused solely on degrading Iran's nuclear threat and defending US and allied forces in the region. 'This mission was not and has not been about regime change,' Hegseth stated. 'The president authorised a precision operation to neutralise the threats to our national interests posed by the Iranian nuclear programme, and the collective self-defence of our troops and our ally, Israel.' Hegseth also delivered a clear message to Tehran and the global community: 'When this president speaks, the world should listen. And the US military — we can back it up. The most powerful military the world has ever known — no other country on planet Earth could have conducted the operation that the chairman is going to outline this morning.' Secretary of State Marco Rubio also signaled a diplomatic off-ramp. 'Let's meet directly,' Rubio said in an interview with CBS. 'If Iran chooses the path of diplomacy, we're ready. If not, consequences will follow.' He clarified that there were no current plans for additional strikes unless Iran 'messes around.'

Business Standard

2 hours ago

• Business Standard

UN Security Council to meet on Iran as Russia, China push for a ceasefire

The UN Security Council will meet Sunday to discuss US strikes on Iran's nuclear sites as Russia, China and Pakistan proposed the 15-member body adopt a resolution calling for an immediate and unconditional ceasefire in the Middle East. It was not immediately clear when it could be put to a vote. The three countries circulated the draft text, said diplomats, and asked members to share their comments by Monday evening. A resolution needs at least nine votes in favor and no vetoes by the United States, France, Britain, Russia or China to pass. The US is likely to oppose the draft resolution, seen by Reuters, which also condemns attacks on Iran's nuclear sites and facilities. The text does not name the United States or Israel. The world awaited Iran's response on Sunday after President Donald Trump said the US had "obliterated" Tehran's key nuclear sites, joining Israel in the biggest Western military action against the Islamic Republic since its 1979 revolution. Iran requested the UN Security Council meeting, calling on the 15-member body "to address this blatant and unlawful act of aggression, to condemn it in the strongest possible terms." Israel's UN Ambassador Danny Danon said in a statement on Sunday that the US and Israel "do not deserve any condemnation, but rather an expression of appreciation and gratitude for making the world a safer place." UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Saturday branded the US strikes on Iran as a "dangerous escalation in a region already on the edge â€' and a direct threat to international peace and security." "At this perilous hour, it is critical to avoid a spiral of chaos. There is no military solution. The only path forward is diplomacy. The only hope is peace," Guterres said in a statement.