Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on March 1, 2026
2 min readLast updated: April 2, 2026
Add as preferred source on GoogleThe UN Security Council is holding an emergency meeting on Saturday, March 1 2026, at 4 p.m. in New York, chaired by Britain, following joint US‑Israeli strikes on Iran. Secretary‑General Guterres condemned all military escalation and urged a return to negotiations amid rapidly rising regional tensi
Feb 28 (Reuters) - The U.N. Security Council will meet on Saturday after the United States and Israel launched strikes on Iran, plunging the Middle East into a new conflict.
U.N. diplomats said the 15-member body would meet at 4 p.m. local time in New York (2100 GMT). The meeting will be chaired by Britain, which holds the monthly council presidency.
Russia's U.N. mission said Russia and China requested an emergency meeting "in connection with the unprovoked act of armed aggression by the United States and Israel against the Islamic Republic of Iran."
It said the meeting was also called for by France, Bahrain, and Colombia.
"During the Security Council meeting, we will demand from the United States and Israel to immediately cease their illegal and escalatory actions and embark on a path toward a political and diplomatic settlement," the Russian statement said.
A U.N. diplomat said U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres plans to speak at the Security Council session.
Earlier on Saturday, Guterres issued a statement condemning military escalation in the Middle East and saying that the "use of force by the United States and Israel against Iran, and the subsequent retaliation by Iran across the region, undermine international peace and security."
"I call for an immediate cessation of hostilities and de-escalation. Failing to do so risks a wider regional conflict with grave consequences for civilians and regional stability. I strongly encourage all parties to return immediately to the negotiating table," Guterres said.
(Reporting by Ksenia Orlova and David Brunnstrom; Writing by Maxim Rodionov; Editing by Aidan Lewis)
The UN Security Council is meeting in response to US and Israeli military strikes on Iran, which have escalated tensions in the Middle East.
Russia, China, France, Bahrain, and Colombia requested the emergency meeting of the Security Council.
Russia and China are demanding that the US and Israel immediately cease their actions and pursue diplomatic solutions.
Guterres has called for an immediate end to hostilities and warned that escalation risks a wider regional conflict.
The meeting will be held in New York at 4 p.m. local time (2100 GMT) and chaired by Britain.
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