UNITED NATIONS, June 23 — The United States has urged the United Nations Security Council to press Iran to end its nuclear weapons pursuit, abandon hostilities toward Israel, halt attacks on U.S. interests, and return to good-faith diplomacy. The call came during a Security Council session on global threats Sunday, where U.S. Ambassador to the UN Dorothy Shea defended the sweeping military strikes launched by Washington against Iran’s nuclear infrastructure.
“To fulfill its core mission of maintaining international peace and security, this Council must call upon the Iranian regime to end its 47-year effort to eradicate the State of Israel, to terminate its drive for nuclear weapons, to stop targeting American citizens and interests, and to negotiate peace in good faith,” Shea told the Council.
Shea said the operation—code-named Midnight Hammer—was a decisive response to what the U.S. described as an accelerating threat posed by Iran’s nuclear program and its support for regional violence. “Last evening, U.S. military strikes targeted nuclear facilities in Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan — to dismantle Iran’s nuclear enrichment capacity and stop the nuclear threat posed by the world’s foremost state sponsor of terror,” Shea said. “This operation sought to eliminate a longstanding but rapidly escalating source of global insecurity, and to aid our ally Israel in our inherent right of collective self-defense, consistent with the UN Charter.”
In her remarks, Shea underscored Iran’s decades-long history of hostility toward the U.S. and Israel. “For 40 years, the Iranian government has called for ‘Death to America’ and ‘Death to Israel’ and posed a constant menace to the peace and security of its neighbors, the United States, and the entire world.”
She accused Tehran of launching hundreds of ballistic missiles at Israel and fueling bloodshed through its network of proxies. “Iran’s government and its proxies have also killed numerous Americans, including American service members in Iraq and Afghanistan,” she said. “In recent weeks, Iranian officials have intensified their hostile bluster and rhetoric.”
The ambassador reiterated the Biden administration’s firm position that Iran must not acquire nuclear weapons. “Let us be clear: Iran should not escalate,” she warned. “Any Iranian attack — direct or indirect — against Americans or American bases will be met with devastating retaliation.”
Shea also cited findings from a recent International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) report to back claims of Iran’s non-compliance with its nuclear obligations. “The recent IAEA report shows clearly that Iran has been continuing to accelerate its nuclear activities without any credible civilian justification,” she said, responding to criticism of U.S. actions raised by some Council members.
General Dan Caine, chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, shared operational details of Midnight Hammer during a press briefing at the Pentagon. According to Caine, the strike package included seven B-2 Spirit bombers and numerous support units from across U.S. military commands. “At approximately 6:40 PM EST, 2:10 am Iran time, the lead B-2 dropped GBU-57 MOP weapons on the first of several aim points at Fordow,” he said.
The attack spanned just under 30 minutes, with all three nuclear facilities—Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan—struck by either bunker-busting bombs or Tomahawk missiles. “The remaining bombers then hit their targets as well with a total of 14 MOPs dropped,” Caine added.
To preserve tactical surprise, the Pentagon employed elaborate deception techniques. “As the Operation Midnight Hammer strike package entered Iranian airspace, the U.S. employed several deception tactics, including decoys… sweeping in front of the package for enemy fighters and surface-to-air missile threats,” Caine said.
The mission involved extensive coordination. A secondary strike group diverted into the Pacific as part of a decoy plan, while the main attack force completed in-flight refueling, timed rendezvous, and a low-communication maneuver sequence over contested airspace. “This type of integration is exactly what our joint force does better than anyone else in the world,” Caine said.
Despite the show of force, the Biden administration’s public messaging suggested that the strikes were not intended to ignite a broader war but to neutralize what officials consider a ticking threat. As Shea concluded, “The time finally came for the United States, in the defense of its ally and in defense of our citizens and interests, to act decisively.”
Iran, which has long insisted its nuclear program is peaceful, has yet to offer a formal response at the UN. However, its parliament has threatened to withdraw from the Non-Proliferation Treaty, a move that could halt inspections by the IAEA and plunge the global community into deeper uncertainty about Tehran’s nuclear intentions.
