In the wake of Saturday’s military offensive — dubbed Operation Midnight Hammer — the U.S. strike on several key nuclear sites in Iran, prompted an urgent meeting of the United Nations Security Council.
The strikes targeted Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan, with the U.S. confirming the use of cruise missiles and ground-penetrating munitions, according to Fox News.
Though Iran reported no increase in off-site radiation levels, the reverberations were geopolitical as much as physical.
Russia’s U.N. Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia delivered a blistering rebuke during the session.
“Russia vehemently condemns the irresponsible, dangerous, and provocative actions taken by the USA against the Islamic Republic of Iran, which is a sovereign country and a U.N. member state,” Nebenzia said, warning that the operation may have unleashed unpredictable global fallout.
“Through its actions, the U.S. has opened Pandora’s box, and no one knows what new consequences this may lead to,” Nebenzia said.
He further cautioned the Council about broader ramifications.
“I think it is obvious to everyone in this chamber that unless we stop the escalation, the Middle East will find itself on the brink of a large-scale conflict, which is fraught with unpredictable consequences for the entire international security architecture,” Nebenzia said. “And the whole world could find itself on the verge of a nuclear catastrophe.”
Nebenzia accused Washington of displaying “complete unconcern about either the radiological consequences or the threat to the lives and health of a huge number of civilians, including women and children, in the region and beyond.”
He also lamented Russia’s offers of peaceful mediation had been ignored.
“We have persistently offered our American colleagues our mediation services… But it appears that diplomacy is not what our U.S. colleagues currently need. Responsibility for all this falls squarely on the shoulders of the American leadership.”
Rafael Grossi, Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency, gave a technical update stating significant damage is expected to have occurred at the Fordow facility.
He noted additional buildings hit at Isfahan were connected to uranium conversion, and entrances to storage tunnels were also damaged.
“At the Natanz enrichment site, the Fuel Enrichment Plant was hit, with the U.S. confirming that it used ground-penetrating munitions,” Grossi said. “Iran has informed the IAEA that there was no increase in off-site radiation levels at all three sites.”
