New York: A fragile ceasefire brokered by the United States between Iran and Israel appears to be holding, marking a tentative halt to a dangerous regional escalation that included airstrikes, retaliatory missile attacks, and mounting civilian casualties. Amid this relative calm, the United Nations has renewed its call for a diplomatic solution to the Iran nuclear issue, warning that the objectives of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) - and the resolution that endorsed it - remain unmet.
According to United Nations, addressing a planned Security Council meeting on Tuesday to try and revive the deal amid the dramatic military escalation of the past 12 days, UN political affairs chief Rosemary DiCarlo said the fragile ceasefire announced by Donald Trump overnight provided an opportunity to avoid a catastrophic escalation and achieve a peaceful resolution of the Iran nuclear issue. The 2015 Iran nuclear deal - more formally known as the JCPOA and backed by the Security Council - offered Tehran sanctions relief in exchange for strict limits on uranium enrichment, stockpile levels, and centrifuge use, alongside robust monitoring and verification by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
Ms. DiCarlo told ambassadors the recent surge in violence had significantly undermined diplomatic momentum. The military escalation between Israel and Iran since 13 June and United States air strikes on Iran's nuclear facilities on 21 June complicated prospects for achieving full implementation of resolution 2231. Iran's strikes yesterday on a base in Qatar further exacerbated insecurity in an already tense region. Despite five rounds of bilateral talks between Iran and the US, facilitated by Oman in recent months, Ms. DiCarlo noted that efforts did not produce a way forward to restore full JCPOA implementation. A sixth round of talks was called off due to the outbreak of hostilities.
Meanwhile, the toll from the recent conflict has been sobering. According to Iranian authorities, at least 606 people were killed and more than 5,300 injured since hostilities erupted on 13 June. Israeli officials reported 28 deaths and nearly 1,500 injuries. While divisions persist, Ms. DiCarlo said JCPOA participants - China, France, Germany, Iran, Russia, and the United Kingdom - had all reiterated their commitment to finding a diplomatic solution. In a joint statement shared with the Secretary-General in March, China, Iran, and Russia stressed the importance of resolution 2231's provisions and timelines. China separately proposed a step-by-step and reciprocal approach to settle the nuclear issue.
Diplomacy, dialogue, and verification remain the best option to ensure the exclusively peaceful nature of Iran's nuclear programme, Ms. DiCarlo said. Echoing UN appeals for dialogue, the European Union stressed that a lasting solution to the Iranian nuclear issue can only be through a negotiated deal, not military action. Briefing the Council on behalf of EU High Representative Kaja Kallas, Ambassador Stavros Lambrinidis underscored the urgent need to come back to a diplomatic solution. Ensuring that Iran does not acquire or develop a nuclear weapon remains a key security priority for the EU, he said.
Ambassador Dorothea Shea, Acting US Representative, said Iran's increase in nuclear activity lacked any credible civilian justification. Even after the IAEA Board of Governors found it noncompliant with nuclear safeguards, she noted, it is regrettable that certain members of this Council have opted to turn a blind eye to, if not encourage, Iranian noncompliance. The US will not turn a blind eye to Iran's noncompliance and ongoing threat to regional stability, she continued. Ambassador Shea said the 21 June precision operation effectively fulfilled our narrow objective - to degrade Iran's capacity to produce a nuclear weapon, after which President Trump coordinated a ceasefire between Iran and Israel.
UK Ambassador Barbara Woodward welcomed the ceasefire brokered by President Trump but warned that the situation remains extremely fragile. Expressing that now is the time for a return to diplomacy, she urged Iran to engage in talks without delay, warning that its nuclear programme has exceeded any credible civilian justification. In this critical moment, she concluded, we must all urge Iran to seize this opportunity for peace and prosperity and abide by its international obligations. Iran's Ambassador, Amir Saeid Iravani, said that his country never initiated this war and that once the aggressors stopped their attacks, Iran stopped its lawful military response as well.
Israeli Ambassador Danny Danon defended his country's military operation against Iran, describing it as a necessary move to neutralise a double existential threat from Tehran's nuclear and missile programmes. He said Israel achieved complete air superiority and removed key regime targets, acting in coordination with the US. Ambassador Danon accused Iran of deceiving the world for years, using diplomacy as cover to advance its nuclear weapons programme. There is still time, he said, to take meaningful and decisive action to ensure that the threat of a nuclear Iran does not return stronger than before.