Pakistan Emphasizes De-escalation Amid Iran–Israel Conflict

UNITED NATIONS: Pakistan along with Russia and China emphasised on immediate ceasefire between Israel and Iran war.

The US airstrikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities forced the countries to accelerate their efforts in the ceasefire deal and resolving the conflict through diplomacy.

The US attack on Iran’s nuclear facility:

The US targeted Iran’s Fordow, the highest Uranium enriched nuclear facility. Donald Trump has already stated that the US and its allies do not want Iran to become a nuclear country. He said the decision is made to protect the US and the world from its consequences.

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The United Nations Security Council arranged an emergency session. In this session, Pakistan’s permanent representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad clearly said, “Pakistan has condemned the US strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities, which come on the heels of a series of brazen attacks by Israel.”

An urgent plea to the UN Security Council:

Ahmad also mentioned that the US attack on the nuclear facility is seriously a dangerous situation in deteriorating global peace. He said that the UN Security Council should take some measures to halt Israel and the US from attacking Iran. 

He also added that the US attack is against the International laws. In his words, the US attack on Iran’s nuclear facility poses a  grave threat to the safety and security of populations across the region and indeed, the world.”

Ahmad represented Pakistan’s stance in the council. He reiterated and stressed on the resolution of the Israel-Iran conflict through diplomatic means and also forced the UN Security Council to play its part in establishing peace in the region.

IAEA warning:

The IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi warned of the fatal consequences of an attack on nuclear facilities. He said that the attack on such sites will not only bring deadly results within the targeted state but also on the nearby states. 

He said, “At this time, no one, including the IAEA, is in a position to assess the underground damage at Fordow. Armed attacks on nuclear facilities should never take place and could result in radioactive releases with great consequences within and beyond the boundaries of the State which has been attacked.”

The UN response:

The United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres strongly condemned the US attack and declared it a “perilous turn.” He also stressed on immediate ceasefire and serious and sustained negotiations. 

Guterres said, “The people of the region cannot endure another cycle of destruction. And yet, we now risk descending into a rathole of retaliation after retaliation. To avoid it, diplomacy must prevail. Civilians must be protected. Safe maritime navigation must be guaranteed.”

Guterres also said that the peace deal should not be neglected in a tough crisis. He said, “We cannot and must not give up on peace and try to end the conflict with meaningful dialogue.”

Miroslav Jena, UN’s Assistant Secretary-General for Europe, Central Asia and the Americas said, “The world will also not be spared from the ramifications of this dangerous conflict. This latest development must be viewed with the utmost seriousness. It marks a dangerous escalation in a conflict that has already devastated many lives in both countries, in a region on the edge.”