Pakistan has called on the UN Security Council, which met in emergency session hours after Israel's deadly air strikes against targets in Iran, to stop "this aggression immediately" and hold the aggressor accountable.
"This Council must deny Israel the free hand and the impunity with which it continues to operate in defiance of international law and international opinion," Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, permanent representative of Pakistan to the UN, told the 15-member Council, while denouncing Tel Aviv's "unjustified and illegitimate aggression" against Iran.
"Iran has the right to self defence under Article 51 of the UN Charter," he said, adding that Israel's actions in Gaza, Syria, Lebanon and Yemen "reflect a continuing pattern of unilateral militarism".
During the debate, the Council's members largely agreed — that de-escalation and diplomacy are imperative to avoid further strain in a region already groaning under the weight of compounding conflict.
Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi requested the Security Council meeting, saying Israel "has now crossed every red line, and the international community must not allow these crimes to go unpunished.
Among those supporting the request for the Council meeting were Pakistan, China and Russia.
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