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STORY: UN / IRAN ISRAEL
TRT: 04:38
SOURCE: UNIFEED
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGES: ENGLISH / NATS
DATELINE: 14 APRIL 2024, NEW YORK CITY / FILE
FILE - NEW YORK CITY
1. Wide shot, UN Headquarters
14 APRIL 2024, NEW YORK CITY
2. Various shots, Security Council
3. SOUNDBITE (English) Antonio Guterres, Secretary-General, United Nations:
“The Middle East is on the brink. The people of the region are confronting a real danger of a devastating full-scale conflict. Now is the time to defuse and de-escalate. Now is the time for maximum restraint.”
4. Various shots, ambassadors
5. SOUNDBITE (English) Antonio Guterres, Secretary-General, United Nations:
“The Charter of the United Nations prohibits the use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any state, or in any other manner inconsistent with the Purposes of the United Nations. Furthermore, the principle of inviolability of diplomatic and consular premises and personnel must be respected in all cases in accordance with international law, as I stated when condemning the 1 April attack on the Iranian consulate in Damascus.”
6. Med shot, Council President, Malta's ambassador Vanessa Frazier
7. SOUNDBITE (English) Antonio Guterres, Secretary-General, United Nations:
“It is vital to avoid any action that could lead to major military confrontations on multiple fronts in the Middle East. Civilians are already bearing the brunt and paying the highest price. And we have a shared responsibility to actively engage all parties concerned to prevent further escalation.”
8. Wide shot, US Ambassador Robert Wood addressing Council
9. SOUNDBITE (English) Robert Wood, Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations, United States:
“The United States is not seeking escalation. Our actions have been purely defensive in nature. The best way to prevent such escalation is an unambiguous condemnation from the Council of Iran’s unprecedented, large scale attack and an unequivocal call on its proxies and partners to refrain from further violence. Our goal is to deescalate and then get back to the issue at hand, securing an end to the conflict in Gaza, by getting a ceasefire in Gaza through a hostage deal, as well as surging humanitarian assistance to Palestinians in need.”
10. Wide shot, Russian Ambassador Vasily Nebenzya addressing Council
11. SOUNDBITE (Russian) Vasily Nebenzya, Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Russian Federation:
“What happened in the night of the 14th of April did not happen in a vacuum. The steps undertaken by Iran were in reaction to the disgraceful inaction of the Security Council, in reaction to an egregious attack by Israel against Damascus, and not the first one, because Syria is constantly being bombarded by Israel.”
12. Wide shot, Israeli Ambassador Gilad Erdan addressing Council
13. SOUNDBITE (English) Gilad Erdan, Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Israel:
“Today the mask of Iranian deniability has been removed. No more hiding and no more bluffing, no more shirking of responsibility. Iran has attacked Israel from its own sovereign territory, publicly and proudly. The mask is off. Iran the number one global sponsor of terror has exposed its true face as the destabilizer of the region and the world. And right now, is when the world must stop ignoring Iran's crimes and take action.”
14. Med shot, Iranian Ambassador Saeed Iravani addressing Council
15. SOUNDBITE (English) Saeed Iravani Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Iran:
“This concluded action was necessary and proportionate. It was precise and only targeted military objectives and carried out carefully to minimize the potential for escalation and prevent civilian harm.”
16.Pan right, delegates
17. SOUNDBITE (English) Saeed Iravani Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Iran:
“The Islamic Republic of Iran reiterates its consistent position that it does not seek escalation or war in the region, while warning about any further military provocation by the Israeli regime, the Islamic Republic of Iran reaffirms its unwavering determination to defend its people, national security and interest, sovereignty and territorial integrity against any threat or act of aggression and to respond to any such threat or aggression vigorously and in accordance with international law. The Islamic Republic of Iran will not hesitate to exercise this right when required.”
18. Wide shot, end of Council session
The people of the Middle East are facing a “real danger of a devastating full-scale conflict,” António Guterres said today (14 Apr), urging “maximum restraint” across a region “on the brink”, hours after Iran launched attack drones and missiles against Israel overnight Saturday.
The Secretary-General told delegates at the opening of an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council that “now is the time to defuse and de-escalate.”
Guterres said, “the Charter of the United Nations prohibits the use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any state, or in any other manner inconsistent with the Purposes of the United Nations. Furthermore, the principle of inviolability of diplomatic and consular premises and personnel must be respected in all cases in accordance with international law, as I stated when condemning the 1 April attack on the Iranian consulate in Damascus.”
According to the latest reports, Iran launched hundreds of drones and missiles from its territory toward Israel, with most intercepted. Several missiles reportedly struck within Israeli territory, one of which damaged an Israeli military facility in the south of the country.
The Secretary-General stressed that it was “vital to avoid any action that could lead to major military confrontations on multiple fronts in the Middle East.”
Civilians, he said, “are already bearing the brunt and paying the highest price. And we have a shared responsibility to actively engage all parties concerned to prevent further escalation.”
United States Ambassador Robert Wood told the Council that the US “is not seeking escalation,” and added that its actions “have been purely defensive in nature.”
Wood said, “the best way to prevent such escalation is an unambiguous condemnation from the Council of Iran’s unprecedented, large scale attack and an unequivocal call on its proxies and partners to refrain from further violence.”
He said the United States’ goal is “to deescalate and then get back to the issue at hand, securing an end to the conflict in Gaza, by getting a ceasefire in Gaza through a hostage deal, as well as surging humanitarian assistance to Palestinians in need.”
Russian Ambassador Vasily Nebenzya told the Council that “what happened in the night of the 14th of April did not happen in a vacuum,” and stressed that “the steps undertaken by Iran were in reaction to the disgraceful inaction of the Security Council, in reaction to an egregious attack by Israel against Damascus, and not the first one, because Syria is constantly being bombarded by Israel.”
Israeli Ambassador Gilad Erdan said, “the mask of Iranian deniability has been removed.”
Erdan said, “nomore hiding and no more bluffing, no more shirking of responsibility. Iran has attacked Israel from its own sovereign territory, publicly and proudly. The mask is off. Iran the number one global sponsor of terror has exposed its true face as the destabilizer of the region and the world.”
He said, “right now, is when the world must stop ignoring Iran's crimes and take action.”
Erdan said Saturday night’s attacks had been launched from Iranian soil, Lebanon, Syria, Yemen and Iraq.
For his part, Iranian Ambassador Saeed Iravani said, “this concluded action was necessary and proportionate. It was precise and only targeted military objectives and carried out carefully to minimize the potential for escalation and prevent civilian harm.”
Iravani said, “the Islamic Republic of Iran reiterates its consistent position that it does not seek escalation or war in the region, while warning about any further military provocation by the Israeli regime. The Islamic Republic of Iran reaffirms its unwavering determination to defend its people, national security and interest, sovereignty and territorial integrity against any threat or act of aggression and to respond to any such threat or aggression vigorously and in accordance with international law. The Islamic Republic of Iran will not hesitate to exercise this right when required.”
