Russia’s Ambassador to the United Nations, Vassily Nebenzia, launched a scathing attack on the United States during an emergency UN Security Council session on Sunday, accusing Washington of recklessly endangering global security with its recent military strikes on Iran.
Referring to the US-led Operation Midnight Hammer, which targeted Iran’s nuclear sites at Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan, Nebenzia described the action as “irresponsible, dangerous, and provocative” and warned that it had opened a “Pandora’s box” of unpredictable consequences.
“Through their actions, the US has opened a Pandora’s box; no one knows what new catastrophes and suffering it will bring,” Nebenzia told the Council. “In pursuit of its Israeli ally’s interests, Washington is prepared not only to ignore the killings of tens of thousands of Palestinians but to gamble with the safety of humanity as a whole.”
The Russian envoy accused the US of rejecting Moscow’s repeated offers to mediate a peaceful resolution to the Iranian nuclear issue and stressed that any fallout from the strikes would be the direct responsibility of American leadership.
“We insistently offered our US colleagues mediation to find a peaceful, mutually agreeable solution. But clearly, they are not interested in diplomacy,” he said. “Unless this escalation is stopped, the Middle East will find itself on the verge of a large-scale conflict, with unpredictable consequences for global security. The world may even end up on the brink of a nuclear disaster.”
Calling for urgent de-escalation, Nebenzia urged both the US and Israel to immediately cease aggressive actions and return to diplomacy.
“We call for an immediate cessation of aggressive actions by Israel and the US, restraint by all parties, and a return to international diplomacy and the negotiation process,” he concluded.
His remarks came amid heightened tensions in the Middle East following the US strikes, which Washington claims were aimed at dismantling Iran’s nuclear ambitions. The session underscored deep divisions within the UN Security Council, as global powers grapple with the threat of wider regional conflict.
