UPDATE - Russia condemns 'unprovoked' Israeli, US bombing of Iranian nuclear sites

ADDS QUOTES FROM OTHER SECURITY COUNCIL MEMBERS

By Merve Aydogan

HAMILTON, Canada (AA) - Russia on Sunday strongly condemned recent US and Israeli airstrikes on Iranian nuclear facilities, calling them "irresponsible, dangerous and provocative actions" during an emergency session of the UN Security Council.

"Russia condemns in the most decisive terms the irresponsible, dangerous and provocative actions committed by the USA against the Islamic Republic of Iran, a sovereign member state of the United Nations," said Russia's UN envoy Vassily Nebenzia.

He said the US, in full coordination with Israel, launched "unprovoked missile and bomb attacks on three nuclear sites in Iran, sites under IAEA safeguards -- Fordo, Natanz and Isfahan."

"In so doing, Washington yet again demonstrated its complete contempt for the position of the international community," he said, warning that the US has "opened a Pandora's Box. No one knows what new catastrophes and suffering it will bring."

Nebenzia accused the US of being willing to "gamble with the safety and well-being of humanity as a whole" to serve Israel's interests, stressing that "no one gave the US the authority to act in such a way."

Citing calls for Iranian restraint, he said: "It's very strange to be participating in this theatre of the absurd…They're calling on Iran to exercise restraint. We've seen a lot of hypocrisy in this room, but this takes the biscuit."

"We regret that today, some of you in this room didn't and cannot muster up the courage to call a spade a spade and to condemn Washington's actions," he said.

On nuclear safeguards, the Russian envoy criticized the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the UN's nuclear watchdog, for its silence regarding Israel.

"Israel has not yet acceded to the NPT (Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons), so no comprehensive IAEA inspections of Israel are being implemented as for Iran. This is an outrageous, cynical situation."

"It's very strange that the IAEA chief did not say a word about this, nor did he call on Israel to join the NPT -- not once," he added.

China's UN envoy Fu Cong echoed Nebenzia and strongly condemned the US strikes against Iranian nuclear facilities.

"The actions of the United States seriously violate the purposes and principles of the UN Charter and international law, as well as Iran's sovereignty, security and territorial integrity," he said, arguing that the latest strikes have "exacerbated tensions in the Middle East."

Algeria's UN envoy Amar Bendjama expressed "deep concern" over the US strikes.

“War has become the denial of diplomacy and politics by all means. Diplomacy, our job, long regarded as the primary tool for conflict resolution, is now being compelled to yield, to step aside, to allow force to take precedence,” he added.

Meanwhile, the UK's Ambassador to the UN, Barbara Woodward, argued that "Iran must not have a nuclear weapon and their nuclear program represents a serious threat to international peace and security."

"The US took action last night to alleviate that threat," she said, affirming that London did not participate in the latest strikes.

US Charge d'Affaires ad interim Dorothy Shea said that Washington's decision to target Iran's Fordo, Natanz and Isfahan nuclear facilities was aimed at "dismantling Iran's nuclear enrichment capacity and stopping the nuclear threat posed by the world's foremost state sponsor of terror."

"The time finally came for the United States, in the defense of its ally and in the defense of our own citizens and interest, to act decisively," she said.

She echoed US President Donald Trump's remarks.

"Let us be clear: Iran should not escalate. As President Trump said, any Iranian attack -- direct or indirect -- against Americans or American bases will be met with devastating retaliation.”