US tells UN: strikes degraded Iran's capacity to build nuclear weapon
Israel's Ambassador to the United Nations Danny Danon speaks at the stakeout before a meeting of the United Nations Security Council, about the conflict between Israel and Iran, at UN headquarters in New York City, U.S., June 24, 2025. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid
Iran's Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the United Nations Amir Saeid Iravani attends the United Nations Security Council, following U.S attack on Iran's nuclear sites, at U.N. headquarters in New York City, U.S., June 24, 2025. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid
U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Dorothy Shea speaks during the United Nations Security Council, following U.S attack on Iran's nuclear sites, at U.N. headquarters in New York City, U.S., June 24, 2025. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid
Delegates attend a meeting of the United Nations Security Council, following U.S attack on Iran's nuclear sites, at U.N. headquarters in New York City, U.S., June 24, 2025. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid
UNITED NATIONS - U.S. strikes on Iran's nuclear facilities "effectively fulfilled our narrow objective: to degrade Iran's capacity to produce a nuclear weapon," acting U.S. envoy to the U.N. Dorothy Shea told the United Nations Security Council on Tuesday.
"These strikes – in accordance with the inherent right to collective self-defense, consistent with the U.N. Charter – aimed to mitigate the threat posed by Iran to Israel, the region and to, more broadly, international peace and security," Shea told the 15-member council.
U.S. President Donald Trump has said the strikes over the weekend "completely and totally obliterated" Iran's key nuclear enrichment facilities. Earlier on Tuesday he announced that a ceasefire between Iran and Israel had started.
"I think it's still early to assess all the strikes. We know we were able to push back the (nuclear) program. We were able to remove the imminent threat that we had," Israel's U.N. Ambassador Danny Danon told reporters on Tuesday.
The U.N. Security Council met on Tuesday to discuss implementation of a resolution adopted in 2015 to enshrine Iran's nuclear deal with world powers, which lifted sanctions on Tehran in exchange for restrictions on its nuclear program.
Trump quit the deal in 2018, during his first term, and restored all U.S. sanctions on Tehran. In response, Iran began moving away from its nuclear-related commitments under the accord.
U.N. political affairs chief Rosemary DiCarlo told the Security Council on Tuesday that the objectives of the Iran nuclear deal and the U.N. resolution "have yet to be fully realized," adding: "This is regrettable." REUTERS
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