June 20 (UPI) -- United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Friday urged de-escalation of the conflict between Israel and Iran because "we are on course to chaos."
The United Nations Security Council met in New York City to discuss the conflict that began one week ago. Airstrikes, including from drones and fighter jets, between both nations continued Friday as many missiles were intercepted.
Iran called for a special session of the 15-member Security Council. Iranian Ambassador Amir Saeid Iravani described the "large-scale, unprovoked military attack" by Israel.
Guterres spoke to the UN. delegations from Geneva, Switzerland, where he working with the foreign ministers from Iran, France, Germany, Britain and the European Union on a diplomatic solution to the situation.
Guterres said the war is "escalating rapidly with a terrible toll, killing and injuring civilians, devastating homes and civilian infrastructure, attacking nuclear facilities. The expansion of this conflict could ignite a fire that no one can control. We must not let that happen.
"There are moments when our choices are defining, when the direction taken will potentially shape our collective future," he said. "The present conflict between Israel and Iran is such a moment. Let us not look back on this moment with regret. Let us act -- responsibly and together -- to pull the region, and our world, back from the brink."
Rafael Grossi, the head of the U.N. nuclear watchdog, the Internatiomal Atomic Energy Agency, warned that Israeli strikes on Iranian nuclear sites had caused a "sharp degradation" in nuclear safety and security. He spoke from Geneva.
The United States has largely stayed out of the conflict. But U.S. President Donald Trump said Thursday he would decide whether to bomb Iran "within two weeks."
Trump wants a nuclear deal between the United States and Iran. Before the war began last week, they had met several times. Iran had agreed to limit its uranium enrichment and allow international inspectors into its nuclear sites under a 2015 deal with world powers that Trump withdrew from in 2018.
"President Trump has been clear in recent days that Iran's leadership must completely abandon its nuclear enrichment program and all aspirations of acquiring a nuclear weapon," acting U.S. Ambassador Dorothy Shea said Friday.
She described the danger of Iran.
"The Iranian government has long posed a constant menace to the peace and security of its neighbors and the entire world, which this council is charged to maintain," she said.
"The Iranian government has repeatedly called for Israel's destruction and for 'death to America.' They have launched direct and proxy attacks on Israeli civilians, including most recently on southern Israel's largest hospital, and just recently -- in the last couple hours -- on Haifa. Iran's government has also spread chaos, terror, and suffering throughout the region."
She said, "It is not too late for the government of Iran to do the right thing."
The United States is a permanent member of the council and can veto any resolution, along with Russia, China, Britain and France.
Russia and China condemned Israel's strikes on Iran.
Iraq's Ambassador Abbas Kadhom Obaid Al-Fatlawi agreed with them, saying: "Iraq strongly condemns the unjustified Israeli attacks against the Islamic Republic of Iran and the repeated Israeli violations of the sovereignty of states, especially the violations of Iraqi airspace to launch an aggression against neighboring Iran."
Israeli planes have passed over Iraq en route to Iran.
Al-Fatlawi said the attacks are blatant violations of the U.N. charter and international law, adding that "we will not allow Iraq to become a battleground for settling regional or international scores."
Israel's Ambassador Danny Danon countered: "There is no greater threat to international peace and security than a nuclear Iran."
He said Israel has acted "as a last resort" and would not "wait for another threat, rocket, missile, terrorist or atomic bomb."
On the other side, the Iranian ambassador said: "The council's failure to act ... would constitute a profound abdication of the council's responsibilities."
He said the assault was not accidental and "not collateral damage. They were deliberate war crimes, acts of state terror and an example of barbaric warfare."
Iravani noted his nation's nuclear program is peaceful, and he said Israel remains the only country in the Middle East with undeclared nuclear weapons. Iran's military response to being attacked was carried out in accordance with international law, he said.
The diplomatic bloc of France, Germany, Britain and European Union officials are engaging Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi in Geneva, calling it a "window of opportunity" to return to diplomacy.
Araghchi expressed "concerns" about the three European nations' "inaction" in condemning Israel's attacks , according to Iranian state-affiliated media.
"If the attacks are ceased and the aggressor is held accountable for its blatant crimes, Iran will be ready to consider diplomacy," Araghchi said, according to ISNA.
The European diplomat said in a statement: "They expressed their view that all sides should refrain from taking steps which lead to further escalation in the region, and urgently find a negotiated solution to ensure that Iran never obtains or acquires a nuclear weapon."
Kaja Kallas, the European Union foreign policy chief, told reporters after the meeting that communication with Iran needed because "regional escalation benefits no one."
"We agreed that we will discuss nuclear but also broader issues that we have," Kallas added.
British Ambassador Barbara Woodward in New York called it "a dangerous moment for the entire region."
She said she hoped for a diplomatic solution and reaffirmed Britain's support for the IAEA and its inspectors, and urged all parties to protect civilians and uphold international humanitarian law.
Britain is not participating in Israeli strikes and has deployed assets only as a defensive measure, she said.
French Ambassador Jerome Bonnafont also called for restraint and de-escalation.
"Civilian lives need to be shielded and there is a need to re-embark on the path of diplomacy," he said.
"France solemnly calls on Iran to finally take the opportunity of a negotiated diplomatic solution."
Several nations, including the United States, are working to evacuate nationals as airspace remains closed in Iran and Israel.
