At a tense United Nations Security Council meeting on Tuesday, Iran and Israel presented sharply opposing views on resolving their conflict through diplomatic means, particularly regarding Iran’s nuclear programme — the central issue that recently led to a 13-day violent confrontation between the two nations.
Iran’s Ambassador to the UN, Amir Saeid Iravani, reiterated Tehran’s firm belief in diplomacy as the only viable solution to its disputes with Israel and the broader international community. Iravani insisted that Iran had not initiated the recent conflict and only launched a military response after being attacked. According to him, once the assaults stopped, Iran ceased its lawful military retaliation.
Emphasizing Iran’s commitment to peaceful negotiations, Iravani said, “Iran continues to believe that a diplomatic resolution to nuclear and sanction issues is possible.” He also urged the Security Council to condemn recent attacks on Iran by Israel and the United States, particularly those targeting nuclear facilities under the protection of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). He added that all of Iran’s actions remain in compliance with UN Security Council Resolution 2231 and the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), the 2015 nuclear agreement.
In stark contrast, Israel firmly rejected diplomacy as a workable solution. Israeli Ambassador Danny Danon declared that diplomatic efforts with Iran had consistently failed and accused Tehran of exploiting diplomatic negotiations to secretly advance its nuclear weapons programme. He described Israel’s military operations as a necessary defensive measure against what he called a “double existential threat” posed by Iran’s nuclear and missile capabilities.
“There is still time to take meaningful and decisive action to ensure that the threat of a nuclear Iran does not return stronger than before,” Danon warned. “Diplomacy was given every chance — every round, every channel, every deadline — and it has failed. Tehran never intended to comply.”
The United States, represented by Acting Permanent Representative Amb. Dorothea Shea, called on Iran to return to negotiations and abandon its nuclear ambitions. She criticized Iran’s recent increase in nuclear activities, stating they lacked “any credible civilian justification.”
UK Ambassador Barbara Woodward expressed cautious optimism over the fragile ceasefire brokered by U.S. President Donald Trump, but warned that the situation remained volatile. She urged Iran to re-engage diplomatically without delay and emphasized that all diplomatic tools must be used to prevent Iran from developing a nuclear weapon.
The European Union also echoed these calls for dialogue. Amb. Stavros Lambrinidis stressed that only a negotiated solution — not military escalation — could resolve the Iranian nuclear crisis. “Ensuring that Iran does not acquire or develop a nuclear weapon remains a key security priority for the EU,” he stated.
UN Political Affairs Chief Rosemary DiCarlo welcomed the U.S.-brokered ceasefire and described it as a critical window of opportunity to avoid further regional escalation and to pursue a peaceful resolution to the nuclear dispute. She underscored that the objectives of the JCPOA — limiting Iran’s nuclear programme to peaceful purposes in exchange for sanctions relief — have yet to be fully met.
The JCPOA, signed between Iran and the five permanent members of the UN Security Council (China, France, Russia, the UK, and the U.S.) along with the European Union, remains at the heart of international efforts to manage Iran’s nuclear activities. Despite renewed calls for diplomacy, deep divisions persist between the parties involved, particularly between Iran and Israel, over the future of the agreement and the best path to regional stability.
