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The UN chief “ seriously alarmed ” by the American bombing of Iranian nuclear sites
“I am seriously alarmed by the use of force by the United States against Iran today,” said the UN chief, reiterating that there is no military solution.
“” This is a dangerous escalation in a region already on the edge – and a direct threat to international peace and security. »»
President Donald Trump pronounced a television address to the nation from the White House at 10 pm, local time and said that Iranian nuclear installations in Fordo, Natanz and Isfahan had been “completely erased” describing the long -term bombing raid as a “spectacular military success”.
President Trump called on Iran’s management to “make peace” and return to negotiations on his nuclear program or to undergo a much greater wave of attacks.
The Iranian authorities have not yet confirmed the extent of damage to the three sites in central Iran. Earlier in the day, the Iranian Minister of Foreign Affairs would have warned the United States against any involvement in the Iran-Israel conflict that broke out on June 13.
Fatal strikes
At least 430 Iranians have been killed in waves of strikes since then with around 3,500 injured, according to figures from the Iranian Ministry of Health.
In Israel, 24 civilians died in reprisal attacks according to local authorities with more than 400 missiles would have been dismissed to the country.
B-2 bombers were involved in American strikes, confirmed President Trump, dropping so-called “Bunker Buster” bombs on the Uranium enrichment site in Fordow which is buried deeply in a mountain south of the Téheran capital.
‘Avoid a spiral of chaos’
In his declaration, the secretary general reiterated his concerns expressed THE Security advice During Friday’s emergency meeting on the crisis that the conflict “could quickly become uncontrollable – with catastrophic consequences for civilians, the region and the world”.
He called on all the Member States to defuse the situation which threatens the stability of the Middle East and beyond, calling everyone to respect its obligations under the Charter of the United Nations and international law.
“” At this perilous hour, it is essential to avoid a spiral of chaos“, He added by calling for an immediate return to the negotiations between the parties at war.
“” There is no military solution. The only way to follow is diplomacy. The only hope is peace.
Originally published at Almouwatin.com
Ukraine: Security Council hears of escalating attacks, diplomatic developments
“As we are facing renewed escalation on the ground and crisis elsewhere, it is critical to maintain focused attention on the urgent need for peace in Ukraine,” said UN Assistant Secretary-General Miroslav Jenča – one of two senior officials briefing the ambassadors.
In the three weeks since the Council last met on Ukraine, Russia has carried out unrelenting large-scale attacks on cities and towns, resulting in a significant rise in civilian casualties.
Deadly Kyiv attack
A combined drone and missile attack on the capital Kyiv overnight on 16-17 June was one of the deadliest there in a year. At least 28 civilians were killed and more than 130 injured. Many others are still reported missing under the rubble of the 35 apartments destroyed that night.
Attacks also reportedly occurred in Odesa, Zaporizhzhia, Chernihiv, Zhytomyr, Kirovohrad, Mykolaiv and Kyiv provinces that same night, with two civilians reportedly killed and scores injured in Odesa.
“These levels of death and destruction risk dimming hope for an immediate ceasefire and threaten to undermine prospects for a lasting peace,” he said.
‘Dramatic increase’ in casualties
Data from the UN human rights office, OHCHR, reveals that at least 13,438 civilians, including 713 children, have been killed since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Another 33,270 civilians have been injured, including over 2,000 children.
The number of civilian casualties in the first five months of this year alone totaled 5,144 – nearly 50 per cent higher than in the same period in 2024. Of this number, 859 were killed and 4,285 injured.
“This dramatic increase is a result of intensified use of long-range weapons, both missiles and loitering munitions, against cities across Ukraine,” said Mr. Jenča.
Ukrainian authorities report that between 1 and 17 June, Russian forces launched at least 3,340 long-range drones, including loitering munitions and decoy drones, and 135 missiles into the country. This compares to 544 long-range munitions launched during the whole of June 2024.
Attacks reported in Russia
Escalating violence also continues to be reported in Russian regions that border Ukraine, though at a far lower level.
In the Kursk region, a woman died in hospital a day after being injured in a Ukrainian drone attack while a man was killed, and five others injured, in a strike on a recreational centre. The UN was not able to verify these reports.
“Let me once again unequivocally state – attacks against civilians and civilian infrastructure are strictly prohibited under international humanitarian law, wherever they occur,” said Mr. Jenča, reiterating the UN’s condemnation.
Diplomatic developments welcomed
Meanwhile, “important diplomatic developments have taken place on the challenging path towards a lasting peace in Ukraine.”
Ukrainian and Russian delegations held their second face-to-face meeting in Istanbul on 2 June. They reportedly exchanged written memoranda outlining their respective visions for a ceasefire and parameters for a future peace settlement.
The sides also reached agreement for the large-scale exchange of prisoners of war, mortal remains and civilian detainees. Swaps have been carried out since then, with the latest round taking place earlier on Friday. The mortal remains of 6,057 Ukrainian and 78 Russian servicepersons also have been returned as of 16 June.
“We welcome the continuation of all meaningful diplomatic efforts, including the recent talks in Istanbul. We urge the sides to make tangible progress towards a ceasefire and a lasting settlement through continued talks,” said Mr. Jenča.
In the face of escalation, he called for redoubling efforts “to ensure that the fragile diplomatic process is not only sustained but becomes irreversible.”
Civilians bear the brunt
In the meantime, civilians continue to bear the severe consequences of the war, said Edem Wosornu, Director of Operations at the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).
“As the war continues, millions of lives are impacted every day. Essential services are disrupted, and vulnerabilities are deepening for nearly 13 million people in need of assistance,” she said.
Roughly 3.7 million people are displaced inside Ukraine, including 60,000 newly displaced from frontline regions since January alone. Almost six million citizens are now refugees, mainly in Europe.
Amid the intensifying hostilities, the Government continues to order the mandatory evacuation of families with children from front-line villages, she said. However, for some people in these locations “attacks are so frequent that evacuations themselves become a risky prospect.”
Humanitarians at risk
Ms. Wosornu noted that humanitarians also face growing threats. This year, two aid workers have been killed and 24 injured while delivering assistance, and some 68 incidents of violence impacting relief personnel, assets and facilities have been recorded.
She said that “despite an operating environment beset by multiple risks and challenges,” humanitarians remain committed and engaged, and their operations continue. Between January and May, they reached some 3.4 million people with life-saving aid, including food, water, medicines, health services and livelihood support.
Humanitarians are seeking $2.6 billion for Ukraine this year, and $816 million, has been secured, she said, stressing the importance importance of “timely financial support”.
End the war
Ms. Wosornu concluded her remarks by renewing earlier calls for the Council to take urgent, collective action in three areas, including protecting civilians and ensuring safe humanitarian access to all in need.
Ambassadors were also urged to ensure sustained financial support as “declining funding trends” threaten aid efforts.
Her final request was an appeal to “end this war, and until then, ensure that humanitarian concerns are a central part of discussions on a pause in fighting or longer-term agreement.”
UN reiterates call for urgent de-escalation amid Iran-Israel conflict, worsening Gaza crisis
In a joint call to de-escalate, UN agencies have warned that further conflict risks triggering new displacement in a region already strained by decades of war and instability.
The UN refugee agency (UNHCR) noted military strikes have led people in both Iran and Israel to flee their homes in search of safety from tit-for-tat missile strikes.
“Movements have been reported from Tehran and other parts of Iran, with some choosing to cross into neighbouring countries,” the agency stated. Meanwhile, “shelling has caused people in Israel to seek shelter elsewhere in the country and in some cases abroad.”
“This region has already endured more than its share of war, loss, and displacement – we cannot allow another refugee crisis to take root,” said UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi. “The time to de-escalate is right now. Once people are forced to flee, there’s no quick way back – and all too often, the consequences last for generations.”
UNHCR urged countries in the region to respect the right to seek asylum and ensure humanitarian access to those affected, while calling on all parties to protect civilians and civilian infrastructure.
Nuclear risks rise as Iran facilities hit
The conflict escalated sharply following Israeli airstrikes on multiple Iranian nuclear-related sites in the past week, including a centrifuge manufacturing workshop in Esfahan, according to the UN’s International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
“This is the third such facility that has been targeted over the past week,” Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi confirmed, noting that the facility had been under IAEA surveillance as part of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) – the nuclear deal signed with Iran in 2015, which the United States pulled out of in 2017.
“We know this facility well. There was no nuclear material at this site and therefore the attack on it will have no radiological consequences,” he said. However, Mr. Grossi warned that continued strikes on nuclear infrastructure are severely undermining nuclear safety and security.
“Though they have not so far led to a radiological release affecting the public, there is a danger this could occur.”
The IAEA has been tracking damage to sites in Esfahan, Arak, Karaj, Natanz and Tehran since the Israeli military campaign against Iran began on 13 June.
The agency has been providing regular updates to the UN Security Council, which has yet to reach consensus on a response. On Friday, ambassadors debating the escalation heard during an emergency meeting in New York UN Secretary-General António Guterres warn that if fighting escalated it could “ignite a fire no one can control.”
Gaza in ruins, Palestinians face starvation
The mounting regional crisis is unfolding against the backdrop of the war in Gaza, where humanitarian conditions continue to deteriorate.
On Saturday, the head of the UN agency for Palestine refugees (UNRWA), Philippe Lazzarini, painted a grim picture of life in the enclave during an address to the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation in Istanbul.
“In Gaza, two million people are being starved,” he said bluntly. “The newly created, so-called ‘aid mechanism’ is an abomination that humiliates and degrades desperate people. It is a death-trap, costing more lives than it saves.”
Lazzarini described a territory devastated by nearly two years of conflict, with more than 55,000 reported dead by local authorities in the Strip – the majority of them women and children.
Survivors, he said, “are shadows of their former selves; their lives forever changed by unspeakable trauma and profound loss.”
In the occupied West Bank, displacement and destruction of public infrastructure are altering the demography of Palestinian camps, he added, in what he described as an effort to erase the prospect of a Palestinian State under the UN-backed two-State solution and strip Palestinians of refugee status.
UNRWA in the crosshairs
“UNRWA has become an objective of this war,” Mr. Lazzarini warned, citing the deaths of at least 318 of the agency’s staff in Gaza since the 7 October terror attacks on Israel by Hamas and other militants, the expulsion of international staff, and a campaign of disinformation aimed at crippling its funding.
Despite these pressures, UNRWA continues to provide lifesaving services, including over 15,000 health consultations per day, waste management and shelter support.
UNRWA’s financial situation is now “dire,” the agency chief said. “Without additional funding, I will soon have to take unprecedented decisions affecting our operations across the region.”
He appealed to Member States to act urgently: “The sudden loss or reduction of UNRWA’s services will only deepen suffering and despair across the occupied Palestinian territory. It might spark unrest in the neighbouring countries. This is something that the region cannot afford, especially now.”
Media advisory – Foreign Affairs Council of 23 June 2025
Main agenda items, approximate timing, public sessions and press opportunities. Source link
“ One Earth, One Health ”: Yoga day provides a respite in a tumultuous world
This powerful message from International Yoga Day, observed every year on June 21, summed up the UN headquarters in New York on Friday while hundreds gathered to embrace the old holistic practice.
A familiar tradition now each year, the north lawn has once again transformed into an open -air yoga studio overlooking the East river. After a section of rainy and gray days, the sky was finally cleared, which makes it a brilliant and hot day.
And yoga enthusiasts, including diplomats, UN officials and staff, have fully benefited, by unfolding their carpets – bodies and flexed spirits.
Peter Rogina, founder of Project Peace Lights, was delighted to return to headquarters and recalled with emotion the 2019 event, which was moved inside to the room of the general assembly due to the rain.
“I love the opportunity to practice with such a large group of people, energy is just amplified … And I also have my son with me, so to present this experience to him, I am also very excited.”
Lama Aria Drolma is a Buddhist teacher and a meditation expert.
A monastic Buddhist lama Aria Drolma comes to the UN each year to participate in the event. His path took him from the world of companies modeling to a more thoughtful place of inner peace and meditation.
“When I was a young child who grew up in India, I practiced yoga. It touches not only the body but also the soul. It is also very meditative. I find that yoga is one of the healthiest things we can all do to take care of our health. ”
‘A family’
The emphasis on personal well-being also highlighted the advantages of yoga beyond individuals to encompass the health of the whole planet.
Organized by the permanent mission of India at the UN in collaboration with the UN secretariat, the theme of this year’s event was, Yoga for land, health.
The ambassador of the permanent representative of India, P. Harish, noted how he underlines a vital truth: personal well-being and planetary health are deeply interconnected.
“By taking care of ourselves, we start to take care of the earth, reflecting the sustainable Indian ethics of Vasudhaiva KutumbakamOr the whole world is a family.
“The 11thth The edition of the Yoga Day offers us an opportunity to think about how yoga has become a world force for well-being, affecting people through age groups, geographies and horizons, “he added.
Echoing this, Didi Ananda Radhika Acchara of the Women’s Women Center of Ananda Marga stressed that more than a simple exercise, yoga is a way to discover the feeling of unity with yourself, the world and nature.
“Outside, we are our bodies, inside this is our mind. At the end inside, there is something that always witnesses us, observing us. It is our soul. Thanks to yoga, we can reach this interior space. When we immerse ourselves in the depths of our mind through yoga, we realize how connected we are all. ”
A symbol of hope
Participants on the lawn went from experienced practitioners to the first curious thirds, engaged in basic yoga asanas (poses), breathing techniques and stretching exercises.
Marking International Yoga Day at the UN headquarters in New York. (June 20, 2025)
The main highlight of the program was a meditation session guided by the famous doctor and a leading figure on integrative well-being, Dr. Deepak Chopra.
Marta Shedletsky of Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Center in New York attended the session in search of a feeling of community, trust – and hope. The place had a particular meaning to him.
“What’s going on in the world these days, with all the troubles and all the wars taking place, this place looks like a symbol of hope for a better future and the possibility of peace. »»
Originally published at Almouwatin.com
The UN reiterates the call for an urgent de-escalation in the midst of Irano-Israeli conflicts, aggravating the Gaza crisis
In a joint call to defuse, United Nations agencies have warned that new risks of conflict triggering a new trip to a region already tense by decades of war and instability.
The United Nations Agency for Refugees (Hcr)) Military strikes have led people in Iran and Israel to flee their homes in search of the security of Tit-For-Tat missile strikes.
“Movements have been reported to Tehran and other parts of Iran, some choosing to cross the neighboring countries,” said the agency. Meanwhile, “the bombings led people in Israel to seek shelter elsewhere in the country and in some cases abroad.”
“” This region has already endured more than its share of war, loss and displacement – we cannot allow another crisis of refugees to take root“Said the United Nations High Commissioner for Filippo Refugees Granded.” The time to defuse is at the moment. Once people are forced to flee, there is no quick path back – And too often, the consequences last generations. “”
UNHCR has urged the countries of the region to respect the right to seek asylum and ensure humanitarian access to affected people, while calling on all parties to protect civilians and civil infrastructure.
Nuclear risks increase as Iranian installations reach
The conflict collapsed following Israeli air strikes on several nuclear -related Iranian sites during last week, including a centrifuge manufacturing workshop in Esfahan, according to the UN International Atomic Energy Agency (Aiea).
“This is the third installation of this type which was targeted in last week,” confirmed the director general Rafael Mariano Grossi, noting that the installation was under surveillance of the IAEA within the framework of the Complete full action plan (JCPOA)-The nuclear agreement signed with Iran in 2015, from which the United States withdrew in 2017.
“We know this installation well. There was no nuclear matter on this site and therefore the attack on this subject will have no radiological consequences“He said. However, Mr. Grossi warned that continuous strikes on nuclear infrastructure strongly undermine nuclear security and security.
“” Although they have not so far led to radiological release affecting the public, there is a danger that this could happen. “”
The IAEA has followed damage to the sites of Esfahan, Arak, Karaj, Natanz and Tehran since the start of the Israeli military campaign against Iran on June 13. T
The agency has provided regular updates to the UN Security adviceWho has not yet reached consensus on an answer. Friday, the ambassadors who debate the climbing heard during an emergency meeting in New York heard the UN Secretary General António Guterres warn that If the fights intensified, it could “turn on a fire, no one can control”.
Gaza in ruins, the Palestinians face famine
The regional assembly crisis takes place in the context of the war in Gaza, where humanitarian conditions continue to deteriorate.
On Saturday, the head of the United Nations Agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA), Philippe Lazzarini, painted a dark image of life in the enclave during an address to the organization of Islamic cooperation in Istanbul.
“” In Gaza, two million people are hungry“He said frankly.The “so-called newly created aid mechanism” is an abomination that humiliates and degrades desperate people. It is a death screed, which costs more lives than it saves. »»
Lazzarini has described a territory devastated by almost two years of conflict, with more than 55,000 dead by local authorities of the Strip – the majority of women and children.
The survivors, he said, “are shadows of their old self; Their lives has changed forever by an unspeakable trauma and a deep loss. “”
In the occupied West Bank, the displacement and destruction of public infrastructure modify the demography of the Palestinian camps, he added, in what he described as an effort to erase the perspective of a Palestinian state under the solution to two states not sustained and undressing the Palestinians of refugee status.
UNRWA in the reticle
“” UNRWA has become an objective of this war“Warned Mr. Lazzarini, citing the death of at least 318 of the agency staff in Gaza since the terrorist attacks on October 7 against Israel by Hamas and other activists, the expulsion of international staff and a disinformation campaign aimed at paralyzing its funding.
Despite these pressures, UNRWA continues to provide rescue services, including more than 15,000 health consultations per day, waste management and shelter support.
UNRWA’s financial situation is now “disastrous,” said the chief of the agency. “” Without additional funding, I will soon have to make unprecedented decisions affecting our operations Throughout the region. »»
He called on Member States to act urgently: “The sudden loss or the reduction of UNRWA services will only deepen suffering and despair through the occupied Palestinian territory. This could arouse unrest in neighboring countries. This is something that the region cannot afford, especially now. ”
Originally published at Almouwatin.com
