UNSC holds closed consultations on Middle East war

The Security Council is convening a closed session today, Friday, to discuss the war in the Middle East at the request of Russia, as the U.S.–Israeli war on Tehran nears its second month.

According to Russia’s state-run TASS, the spokesperson for Russia’s representative to the United Nations, Evgeny Uspensky, said: “The Russian Federation requested closed consultations at the Security Council due to the continued strikes on civilian infrastructure in Iran, including educational and healthcare facilities.”

The meeting comes at a time of clear divisions within the Council over how to address the escalation. Some countries are calling for an immediate ceasefire and a return to diplomacy, while others emphasize the right of Israel and the United States to respond, complicating efforts to reach a unified international position to contain the crisis.

On the ground, the U.S. Department of Defense announced the deployment of unmanned fast boats to conduct patrols as part of its military operations, marking a first in an ongoing conflict.

Airstrikes continue across several Iranian cities, amid ongoing exchanges of missile and drone attacks between Iran and Israel, with reports indicating that tensions are expanding to other areas in the Gulf.

Meanwhile, the Strait of Hormuz remains closed. Iran’s Fars News Agency reported that more than 350 oil and gas tankers are waiting in both the Gulf of Oman and the Gulf for permission to pass, raising growing concerns over global energy supplies.

A-H 

ANHA