Tensions between Iran and Israel have exploded into a full-scale regional crisis, prompting an emergency meeting of the U.N. Security Council on Friday night.
Iran’s U.N. Ambassador Amir Saeid Iravani condemned Israel’s recent strikes as “barbaric and criminal,” claiming they killed 78 people, mostly civilians, and injured over 320.
He alleged that the attacks deliberately targeted senior military officials, nuclear scientists, and civilian infrastructure across multiple Iranian cities, labeling the actions “state terrorism.”
In a rare address to the Council, U.N. nuclear chief Rafael Grossi confirmed that Israeli strikes destroyed the above-ground section of Iran’s Natanz nuclear facility, severely damaging power infrastructure and uranium enrichment areas.
Though the main underground centrifuge site was not directly hit, Grossi warned that the power loss could cause significant damage to critical systems.
The escalation follows weeks of mounting tensions, with Iran declaring just yesterday it would activate a third nuclear enrichment site, shortly after being censured by the U.N. nuclear watchdog for noncompliance.
Meanwhile, Israel confirmed that an Iranian missile struck Ramat Gan, near Ben Gurion International Airport, injuring 15 people, one critically.
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has vowed “revenge,” while Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu defended the operation, saying it aimed to “roll back the Iranian threat to Israel’s very survival.”
U.S. President Donald Trump weighed in, urging Iran to “make a deal before it is too late.”
With both sides trading military and political blows, the international community now fears the onset of a broader regional war.
