The United Nations Security Council convened to address Iran's unprecedented attack on Israel, which saw over 180 ballistic missiles fired at the country. The meeting, however, was overshadowed by Israel's decision to ban U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres from entering its borders.
Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz justified the ban by criticizing Guterres for failing to condemn Iran's attack on Israel unequivocally. Katz accused Guterres of supporting terrorist groups like Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Houthis, as well as Iran, which he referred to as the 'mothership of global terror.'
Guterres, in his initial statement, condemned the 'latest attacks in the Middle East' without explicitly naming Iran. Following Israel's ban, he issued a stronger condemnation of Iran's missile attack on Israel.
The ban on Guterres drew mixed reactions from the international community. Algeria expressed support for the secretary-general, while some permanent members of the Security Council, including the United States and the United Kingdom, condemned Iran's actions and backed Israel's right to defend itself.
U.S. Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield called for further sanctions against Iran, linking the country to previous attacks on Israel through its support for militant groups. France urged Iran to avoid actions that could destabilize the region and condemned the attack on civilians in Jaffa.
Iran defended its actions before the council, accusing the U.S., France, and the U.K. of enabling Israel and justifying its 'heinous crimes' under the guise of self-defense.
The situation remains tense as Israel grapples with the aftermath of the attack and the diplomatic fallout from its decision to ban the U.N. secretary-general.
