Several top Iranian military leaders have been killed in Israeli attack
\n New York
\nIran has formally requested an emergency meeting of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) following Israel\u2019s attacks on multiple Iranian military, nuclear, and civilian sites on Friday.
\nIn a letter to the UNSC, Iran\u2019s Permanent Mission to the United Nations condemned the attacks and described them as a \u201cdeclaration of war\u201d by Israel.
\nThe letter underscored Iran\u2019s right to self-defence and warned that Tehran reserves the right to respond to the aggression.
\nThe letter also demanded that the international community condemn Israel\u2019s targeting of Iran\u2019s nuclear facilities and the assassination of senior military officials during the operation.
\nIranian media and witnesses reported explosions, including at the country\u2019s main uranium enrichment facility at Natanz, while Israel declared a state of emergency in anticipation of any retaliation.
\nSeveral top Iranian military leaders have been assassinated in Israeli attack, Iranian state media reported.
\nMajor-General Mohammad Bagheri, chief of staff of the armed forces and the country\u2019s second-highest military commander after Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was among those assassinated.
\nGeneral Hossein Salami, commander in chief of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), Iran\u2019s most powerful military branch, was also confirmed dead.
\nGeneral Gholamali Rashid, deputy commander in chief of the armed forces, was another senior figure who died during the attacks.
\nSix nuclear scientists in Iran were also assassinated. The semi-official Tasnim news agency identified the victims as Abdulhamid Minouchehr, Ahmadreza Zolfaghari, Seyyed Amirhossein Faqhi, Motablizadeh, Mohammed Mehdi Tehranchi, and Fereydoun Abbasi.
\nMoreover, Israel\u2019s attack on Iran has drawn responses from the UN and its five permanent Security Council members.
\nUN calls for restraint
\nUN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has called for \u201cmaximum restraint\u201d to avoid \u201cdescent into deeper conflict\u201d.
\n\u201cThe secretary-general condemns any military escalation in the Middle East,\u201d Guterres\u2019s spokesperson Farhan Haq said. \u201cHe is particularly concerned by Israeli attacks on nuclear installations in Iran while talks between Iran and the United States on the status of Iran\u2019s nuclear programme are under way.\u201d
\nUnited States
\nUS President Donald Trump, speaking to Fox News, reiterated that \u201cIran cannot have a nuclear bomb\u201d and expressed hopes for renewed diplomacy.
\nHowever, he made clear that some Iranian leaders would not be part of any future negotiations. The US denied involvement in the Israeli operation but has warned Iran not to target American personnel or interests in the region.
\nUnited Kingdom
\nBritish media outlets, including The Times, reported on Friday that the UK was not currently providing military support to Israel.
\nDefence sources cited by the newspaper said there was no active British role in defending Israel against potential Iranian retaliation.
\nFrance
\nFrench Foreign Minister Jean-No\u00ebl Barrot urged restraint from all parties and warned against further escalation. In a statement on X (formerly Twitter), Barrot said France is monitoring the situation \u201cin close coordination with its partners\u201d and taking steps to protect French nationals and interests.
\nHe also reiterated \u201cdeep concerns\u201d about Iran\u2019s nuclear programme and called for renewed diplomatic efforts to prevent a wider conflict.
\nChina
\nBeijing issued security advisories for its citizens in both Israel and Iran, warning of a \u201ccomplex and severe\u201d situation. The Chinese embassy in Israel urged nationals to avoid military zones and sensitive areas, and to prepare for potential missile and drone attacks.
\nChina did not issue a direct statement on Iran\u2019s UN appeal but signalled heightened concern over regional stability.
\nRussia
\nRussian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said Moscow would soon release an official statement on the Israeli strikes.
\nWhile no immediate comment was made on Iran\u2019s request for a UNSC meeting, Russia signalled that it is closely monitoring developments and intends to respond diplomatically.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Several top Iranian military leaders have been killed in Israeli attack New York Iran has formally requested an emergency meeting of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) following Israel\u2019s attacks on multiple Iranian military, nuclear, and civilian sites on Friday. In a letter to the UNSC, Iran\u2019s Permanent Mission to the United Nations condemned the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":484080,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-484064","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-world"},"yoast_head":"\n