The U.N. Security Council met on Sunday to discuss U.S. strikes on Iran’s nuclear sites as Russia, China and Pakistan proposed the 15-member body adopt a resolution calling for an immediate and unconditional ceasefire in the Middle East, Reuters reported.

“The bombing of Iranian nuclear facilities by the United States marks a perilous turn,” U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told the Security Council on Sunday. “We must act – immediately and decisively – to halt the fighting and return to serious, sustained negotiations on the Iran nuclear programme.”

The world awaited Iran’s response on Sunday after President Donald Trump said the U.S. had “obliterated” Tehran’s key nuclear sites, joining Israel in the biggest Western military action against the Islamic Republic since its 1979 revolution.

Russia and China condemned the U.S. strikes.

“Peace in the Middle East cannot be achieved by the use of force,” said China’s U.N. Ambassador Fu Cong. “Diplomatic means to address the Iranian nuclear issue haven’t been exhausted, and there’s still hope for a peaceful solution.”

But acting U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Dorothy Shea told the council the time had come for Washington to act decisively, urging the Security Council to call upon Iran to end its effort to eradicate Israel and terminate its drive for nuclear weapons.

“Iran long obfuscated its nuclear weapons program and stonewalled our good-faith efforts in recent negotiations,” she said. “The Iranian regime cannot have a nuclear weapon.”

Russia’s U.N. Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia recalled former U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell making the case at the U.N. Security Council in 2003 that Iraqi President Saddam Hussein constituted an imminent danger to the world because of the country’s stockpiles of chemical and biological weapons, read the report.

“Again we’re being asked to believe the U.S.’s fairy tales, to once again inflict suffering on millions of people living in the Middle East. This cements our conviction that history has taught our U.S. colleagues nothing,” he said.

Iran requested the U.N. Security Council meeting on Sunday.

Iran’s U.N. Ambassador Amir Saeid Iravani accused Israel and the U.S. of destroying diplomacy, said all U.S. allegations are unfounded and that the nuclear non-proliferation treaty “has been manipulated into a political weapon.”

“Instead of guaranteeing parties’ legitimate rights to peaceful nuclear energy, it has been exploited as a pretext for aggression and unlawful action that jeopardize the supreme interests of my country,” Iravani told the council.

Israel’s U.N. Ambassador Danny Danon praised the U.S. for taking action against Iran, saying: “This is what the last line of defense looks like when every other line has failed.” He accused Iran of using negotiations over its nuclear programme as camouflage to buy time to build missiles and enrich uranium.

“The cost of inaction would have been catastrophic. A nuclear Iran would have been a death sentence just as much for you as it would have been for us,” he told the council.

It was not immediately clear when the council could vote on the draft resolution. Russia, China and Pakistan have asked council members to share their comments by Monday evening. A resolution needs at least nine votes in favor and no vetoes by the U.S., France, Britain, Russia or China to pass.

The U.S. is likely to oppose the draft resolution, seen by Reuters, which also condemns attacks on Iran’s nuclear sites and facilities. The text does not name the United States or Israel.

“Military action alone cannot bring a durable solution to concerns about Iran’s nuclear program,” Britain’s U.N. Ambassador Barbara Woodward told the council. “We urge Iran now to show restraint, and we urge all parties to return to the negotiating table and find a diplomatic solution which stops further escalation and brings this crisis to an end.”

U.N. nuclear watchdog chief Rafael Grossi said that while craters were visible at Iran’s enrichment site buried into a mountain at Fordow, “no one – including the IAEA – is in a position to assess the underground damage.”

Grossi told the Security Council that entrances to tunnels used for the storage of enriched material appear to have been hit at Iran’s sprawling Isfahan nuclear complex, while the fuel enrichment plant at Natanz has been struck again.

“Iran has informed the IAEA there has been no increase in off-site radiation levels at all three sites,” said Grossi, who heads the International Atomic Energy Agency.

The reaction of world leaders after U.S. forces struck three Iranian nuclear sites on Sunday Iran time ranged from Israel lauding President Donald Trump’s decision to the U.N. calling for de-escalation and some countries condemning the attacks.

ISRAEL PRIME MINISTER BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, RECORDED STATEMENT:

“Congratulations, President Trump. Your bold decision to target Iran’s nuclear facilities with the awesome and righteous might of the United States will change history… History will record that President Trump acted to deny the world’s most dangerous regime the world’s most dangerous weapons.”

U.N. SECRETARY-GENERAL ANTONIO GUTERRES, STATEMENT

“I am gravely alarmed by the use of force by the United States against Iran today. This is a dangerous escalation in a region already on the edge – and a direct threat to international peace and security. There is a growing risk that this conflict could rapidly get out of control – with catastrophic consequences for civilians, the region, and the world. I call on Member States to de-escalate and to uphold their obligations under the UN Charter and other rules of international law. At this perilous hour, it is critical to avoid a spiral of chaos. There is no military solution. The only path forward is diplomacy. The only hope is peace.”

NEW ZEALAND FOREIGN MINISTER WINSTON PETERS, STATEMENT:

“We acknowledge developments in the last 24 hours, including President Trump’s announcement of US strikes on nuclear facilities in Iran. Ongoing military action in the Middle East is extremely worrying, and it is critical further escalation is avoided. New Zealand strongly supports efforts towards diplomacy. We urge all parties to return to talks. Diplomacy will deliver a more enduring resolution than further military action.”

AUSTRALIA GOVERNMENT SPOKESPERSON, STATEMENT:

“We have been clear that Iran’s nuclear and ballistic missile program has been a threat to international peace and security. We note the US President’s statement that now is the time for peace. The security situation in the region is highly volatile. We continue to call for de-escalation, dialogue and diplomacy.”

MEXICO FOREIGN MINISTRY, ON X:

“The ministry urgently calls for diplomatic dialogue for peace between the parties involved in the Middle East conflict. In keeping with our constitutional principles of foreign policy and our country’s pacifist conviction, we reiterate our call to de-escalate tensions in the region. The restoration of peaceful coexistence among the states of the region is the highest priority.”

VENEZUELA FOREIGN MINISTER YVAN GIL, ON TELEGRAM:

“Venezuela Condemns U.S. Military Aggression Against Iran and Demands an Immediate Cessation of Hostilities. The Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela firmly and categorically condemns the bombing carried out by the United States military, at the request of the State of Israel, against nuclear facilities in the Islamic Republic of Iran, including the Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan complexes.”

CUBA PRESIDENT MIGUEL DIAZ-CANEL, ON X:

“We strongly condemn the US bombing of Iran’s nuclear facilities, which constitutes a dangerous escalation of the conflict in the Middle East. The aggression seriously violates the UN Charter and international law and plunges humanity into a crisis with irreversible consequences.”

Pakistan has formally nominated US President Donald Trump for the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize in recognition of “his decisive diplomatic intervention and pivotal leadership during the recent India-Pakistan crisis.”

The Government of Pakistan in a post on X said: “The international community bore witness to unprovoked and unlawful Indian aggression, which constituted a grave violation of Pakistan’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, resulting in the tragic loss of innocent lives, including women, children, and the elderly.”

Pakistani leaders said at a moment of heightened regional turbulence, Trump demonstrated “great strategic foresight and stellar statesmanship” through “robust diplomatic engagement” with both Islamabad and New Delhi, securing a ceasefire.

“This intervention stands as a testament to his role as a genuine peacemaker and his commitment to conflict resolution through dialogue,” the post continued. “The Government of Pakistan also acknowledges and greatly admires President Trump’s sincere offers to help resolve the longstanding dispute of Jammu and Kashmir between India and Pakistan—an issue that lies at the heart of regional instability.”

“President Trump’s leadership during the 2025 Pakistan India crisis manifestly showcases the continuation of his legacy of pragmatic diplomacy and effective peace-building. Pakistan remains hopeful that his earnest efforts will continue to contribute towards regional and global stability, particularly in the context of ongoing crises in the Middle East, including the humanitarian tragedy unfolding in Gaza and the deteriorating escalation involving Iran.”

Meanwhile, Trump announced on Friday he and Secretary of State Marco Rubio had secured a “wonderful” treaty between Rwanda and Congo.

He went on to discuss his chances at winning a Nobel Peace Prize, claiming he wouldn’t get one, “no matter what I do.”

“This is a Great Day for Africa and, quite frankly, a Great Day for the World,” Trump wrote in the post. “I won’t get a Nobel Peace Prize for this, I won’t get a Nobel Peace Prize for stopping the War between India and Pakistan, I won’t get a Nobel Peace Prize for stopping the War between Serbia and Kosovo, I won’t get a Nobel Peace Prize for keeping Peace between Egypt and Ethiopia (A massive Ethiopian built dam, stupidly financed by the United States of America, substantially reduces the water flowing into The Nile River), and I won’t get a Nobel Peace Prize for doing the Abraham Accord in the Middle East which, if all goes well, will be loaded to the brim with additional Countries signing on, and will unify the Middle East for the first time in “The Ages!”

According to The Nobel Prize’s website, to be nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize, a person must be a “qualified nominator,” which includes national governments, heads of state, previous award winners, and members of specific international organizations. 

The nomination process is confidential, and entries are due by Jan. 31, hence the 2026 nomination.