The United States and Iran traded heated accusations at an emergency United Nations Security Council meeting following US airstrikes on three major Iranian nuclear sites, raising fears of broader regional conflict.

The meeting was held a day after US President Donald Trump confirmed that American forces had targeted Iran’s Fordow, Natanz, and Esfahan nuclear facilities. Acting US Ambassador to the UN, Dorothy Camille Shea, told the Council that the operation aimed to dismantle Iran’s nuclear enrichment capabilities and prevent a growing threat.

Shea accused Iran of decades of obstruction and hostility, saying, “This operation was in collective self-defense and to eliminate a source of escalating global insecurity.” She warned Tehran that any retaliation would be met with “devastating” force.

Iran’s UN envoy Amir Saeid Iravani called the strikes a “blatant crime,” blaming Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for provoking the conflict. He claimed the US had “destroyed diplomacy” and vowed Iran would determine its own response.

“Netanyahu hijacked US foreign policy,” Iravani said, accusing Israel of misleading the world about Iran’s nuclear intentions while refusing to join the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).

Israel’s UN Ambassador Danny Danon defended the US action, calling it a necessary and historic moment. “When the world stood at the edge of nuclear disaster, America stepped forward,” he declared.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres expressed grave concern over the strikes, urging all parties to return to negotiations and avoid escalation. “We face a stark choice: wider war or diplomacy. We know which way is right,” he said.

The developments mark a critical juncture in the Middle East crisis, with the potential for significant global consequences.