New Delhi: United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres said US airstrikes on the three Iranian nuclear sites were a “dangerous escalation” and a “direct” threat to international peace and security, while calling for member-states to “de-escalate” and “uphold their obligations” under the charter of the international organisation.
“I am gravely alarmed by the use of force by the United States against Iran today. This is a dangerous escalation in a region already on the edge – and a direct threat to international peace and security,” Guterres said in a statement.
“There is a growing risk that this conflict could rapidly get out of control – with catastrophic consequences for civilians, the region, and the world. I call on Member States to de-escalate and to uphold their obligations under the @UN Charter and other rules of international law. At this perilous hour, it is critical to avoid a spiral of chaos.”
Early Sunday, the US bombed three Iranian nuclear facilities—Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan and, in an address to the nation, US President Donald Trump said the nuclear sites had been “completely and fully” obliterated. The focus of the strike was Fordow—the deeply fortified uranium enrichment centre—which was hit by the GBU-57A/B Massive Ordinance Penetrator (MOP), better known as the bunker buster bomb.
The facility is reported to be over 300 feet into the side of a mountain about 160 km from the city of Qom. While Israel, through its Operation Rising Lion, was able to hit other nuclear sites in Iran, Fordow was beyond its technical capabilities, and required American intervention.
The Atomic Energy Organisation of Iran (AEOI) confirmed that the three nuclear sites were hit, calling the action “contrary to international law” and urging the “international community” to “condemn the lawlessness based on the rules of the jungle and support Iran in achieving its legitimate rights”.
The strike has seen support from the Republican leadership in the US Congress, with both House Speaker Mike Johnson and Senate Majority Leader John Thune coming out in support of Trump’s military action.
“The regime in Iran, which has committed itself to bringing ‘death to America’ and wiping Israel off the map, has rejected all diplomatic pathways to peace. The mullahs’ misguided pursuit of nuclear weapons must be stopped,” said Thune in a statement.
“As we take action tonight to ensure a nuclear weapon remains out of reach for Iran, I stand with President Trump and pray for the American troops and personnel in harm’s way.”
Democrats criticise action
However, a number of leading Democrats criticised the military action, with House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries pointing out that the US Congress retains the sole authority to declare any war, indicating that Trump acted beyond the remit of his powers.
“The authority to declare war belongs solely to the United States Congress. President Trump and his administration must refrain from engaging in offensive military action in Iran without the explicit approval of the House of Representatives and the Senate,” Jeffries said in a statement.
“Aggressive diplomacy resulting in a longer and stronger agreement that permanently halts Iran’s nuclear aspirations is the most appropriate course of action at this time.”
Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a Democratic representative for New York, called the strike a “grave violation of the Constitution and Congressional War Powers” in a post on X.
“He has impulsively risked launching a war that may ensnare us for generations.It is absolutely and clearly grounds for impeachment,” added Ocasio-Cortez.
Democrats found support from the ultraconservative Republican lawmakers, including Thomas Massie, who criticised the strike. Massie, a Republican representative for Kentucky, said the strikes were “not Constitutional” in a statement on the social media platform X.
On Sunday, in a statement from the White House lawns, Trump promised more strikes against Iran, if Tehran does not immediately make peace, promising that these attacks will be done with “precision, speed and skill”.
Trump had promised to end the American “forever wars” and its military intervention in West Asia on the campaign trail. His administration was negotiating a new nuclear deal with Iran, before Israel launched Operation Rising Lion on 13 June.
(Edited by Sanya Mathur)
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