U.S. Warns Iran at U.N. Against Targeting Israel

The United States cautioned Iran against targeting it or Israel at the U.N. Security Council as tensions rise in the Middle East. The council met following escalated violence between Israel, Hezbollah, and Iran. U.S. Ambassador Thomas-Greenfield called for additional sanctions on Iran while urging collective responsibility among council members.

The United States issued a stern warning to Iran at the United Nations Security Council on Wednesday, cautioning against targeting either the U.S. or Israel. U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres emphasized the urgent need to end the 'deadly cycle of tit-for-tat violence' in the Middle East.

The 15-member council convened in response to Israel's assassination of Hezbollah's leader and subsequent ground offensive, alongside an Iranian strike on Israel that heightened fears of a broader Middle Eastern conflict. 'Our actions have been defensive,' argued U.S. Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield.

'We strongly warn Iran and its proxies against any actions targeting the United States or escalated aggression towards Israel,' she declared, also urging the council to impose harsher sanctions on Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps. Thomas-Greenfield stressed the collective responsibility of Council members in maintaining regional peace.