UN Secretary-General António Guterres has warned of the profoundly alarming risk of further military escalation between Iran and Israel, as the Security Council prepares to meet on Tuesday to review the implementation of the 2015 Iran nuclear deal under Resolution 2231.
According to an advance copy of the Secretary-General’s 19th report, obtained by Iran International from a Security Council member ahead of its official release, Guterres condemned the Israeli strikes on Iranian territory — including on nuclear-related sites — and Iran’s retaliatory attacks.
“I am profoundly alarmed by the ongoing military escalation,” Guterres writes in his report on the implementation of Security Council Resolution 2231 (2015).
He urged both sides to exercise “maximum restraint” and avoid a “descent into deeper conflict.”
“Diplomacy remains the best and only way to address concerns regarding Iran’s nuclear program and regional security issues,” the report added.
A fragile ceasefire brokered by US President Donald Trump — and confirmed by both Tehran and Jerusalem — is currently in effect. However, in the early hours after the ceasefire took effect on Tuesday morning, both sides accused each other of breaches.
Guterres repeated his call for immediate de-escalation and a return to diplomacy. “The only path to peace and prosperity is through a diplomatic solution that ensures the exclusively peaceful nature of Iran’s nuclear program,” the report says.
The meeting on Tuesday will feature briefings by Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs Rosemary DiCarlo, Slovenia’s Ambassador Samuel Žbogar — the current Security Council facilitator for Resolution 2231 — and a European Union representative in their capacity as JCPOA coordinator.
Goals of nuclear deal yet unmet
The report said that the core goals of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) remain unrealized, even as the resolution’s provisions are set to expire in October. “The objectives of the resolution and those of the Plan have yet to be fully realized.”
The secretary-general expressed support for recent diplomatic efforts between Iran and the US, which have included five rounds of indirect talks mediated by Oman.
In a March joint statement shared with Guterres, China, Iran, and Russia stressed the importance of preserving Resolution 2231’s framework and warned against actions that could escalate tensions.
Beijing later submitted a five-point proposal advocating for a step-by-step diplomatic resolution and reaffirming the JCPOA as a viable path forward.
However, Western governments remain skeptical. France, Germany, and the UK told the Council earlier in June that Iran is in “extensive violation” of its JCPOA obligations and is producing enriched uranium at levels far beyond the deal’s limits.
The trio warned they may trigger the so-called snapback of UN sanctions if no progress is made.
Iran rejected the accusations, blaming the US withdrawal from the deal in 2018 and subsequent European inaction for the current crisis. Tehran warned that any move to reimpose sanctions could prompt its withdrawal from the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).
Russia also backed Iran’s position, accusing Western nations of violating the agreement and dismissing efforts to paint Iran’s nuclear program as a threat to international peace.
IAEA raises alarm
A recent report by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) estimates Iran’s enriched uranium stockpile at over 9,200 kilograms — more than 45 times the JCPOA’s cap — with significant quantities enriched up to 60%, a level close to weapons-grade.
The IAEA warned it had lost continuity of knowledge over much of Iran’s nuclear activities since early 2021, raising further concerns about transparency and oversight.
The UN nuclear watchdog confirmed that it continues to oversee procurement notifications under the resolution. Eight new nuclear-related notifications were received since December 2024, according to the report.
Slovenia’s Žbogar is expected to present a separate report to the Council outlining these developments, while the EU representative will provide an update on the status of the JCPOA’s implementation.
Considered fearsome by Israel and their Lebanese countrymen, Hezbollah once held a de facto veto over politics in Lebanon by virtue of the arms and sought to scotch domestic discussion on turning in its arsenal.
Hezbollah members were accused of assassinating a former prime minister
A punishing war with Israel which crescendoed with attacks on Hezbollah leaders' communication devices sapped the group and much of its sway at home and abroad.
A chastened Hezbollah, once seen as a key deterrent for its Iranian patrons against Israeli attack, totally sat out the 12-day Iran-Israel war in which Tehran was bruised.
A political analyst in Beirut, who asked to remain anonymous for safety reasons, told Iran International: “It is very clear Hezbollah is not getting involved in the Iran-Israel war. They realized the cost is very high and they can’t afford to. Many of us here are simply watching and hoping that after this war on Iran, the whole region will be better.”
Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem’s recent statement rallied to Iran's side but stopped well short of pledging action.
“We in Hezbollah are not neutral between Iran’s legitimate rights and independence and America’s falsehood and aggression, and we act as we see fit in the face of the Israeli-American aggression against Iran.”
But after decades of wars in Lebanon, its people are tired, the analyst said.
“People here want peace, they want to work, to build the country back up. Iran is sending arms and money to Hezbollah to build Lebanon into a country according to its own vision. This isn’t what we want.”
Hezbollah not over
A Christian citizen, who asked to be called only by his first name George, told Iran International that Hezbollah's presence is Lebanon persisted despite setbacks.
"They are still very capable of creating domestic problems even if less so or a new war with Israel. We are now afraid they could cause another civil war, which would be a disaster for us to go through again,” George said.
Last year, Israel pounded the group and killed the group’s top political and military leadership, including its veteran charismatic leader Hassan Nasrallah.
Huge swathes of the group’s military capabilities have been degraded and infrastructure destroyed.
Israel continues to strike Hezbollah members, missile launchers and weapons caches. despite a US-France-brokered ceasefire.
George hopes the Israeli and US attacks against Iran could weaken the group.
“Iran is the father of Hezbollah, giving them arms, money, so this war will help a lot,” George said, hopeful of a brighter future for his homeland.
On the missile path
Lebanon sat below the pathway of Iranian missiles bound for Israel this month, with video footage showing Beirut's party life barely pausing as they streamed in the sky.
After Lebanon was under fire as Israel and Hezbollah battled it out last year, the peace feels eerily strange to some.
“It’s surreal to see this as we sit in the middle,” said one mother of three in Beirut who asked to be called Fatima.
“We have gone through so much, that of course we still fear Hezbollah can start something again, but it seems for now, they are not getting involved. I think it’s clear they know they are not strong enough after what we went through last year.”
However, there are those who still bear the scars of years of war with Israel. Ahmad, whose family are in Beirut and suffered displacement after the 2019 port explosion, told Iran International: “Personally I’m celebrating.
"I’m happy to see Iran’s rockets going to Israel because finally someone is doing this. No other country bombed back like this before.”
When asked if he thinks Lebanon and the Middle East could be more peaceful without the dominance and political influence of Tehran, he said: “No, I think that getting rid of Israel will bring peace.”
Lebanon is still paying a heavy price for the last round of conflict between Hezbollah and Israel, with thousands dead and wounded, and thousands more displaced.
Now, amid the war with Iran, several airlines have cancelled flights to Lebanon and diplomatic missions have evacuated staff despite the peak summer travel season.
The country’s political leadership is calling for calm, urging diplomatic solutions in fear of being dragged into yet another conflict.
President Joseph Aoun said on Sunday: "The recent escalation of Israeli-Iranian confrontations and the rapid developments accompanying them, particularly the bombing of Iranian nuclear facilities, are likely to raise fears of an expansion of tensions that threatens security and stability in more than one region and country."
