UN chief condemns Israeli airstrikes on Iran amid nuclear talks

United Nations (UN) Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned military escalation in the Middle East, highlighting concerns over Israeli attacks on Iran’s nuclear sites amid ongoing U.S.-Iran nuclear talks, urging restraint to prevent deeper regional conflict, according to a statement issued by the Office of the Spokesperson for the UN chief on Thursday.

The secretary-general is particularly concerned by Israeli attacks on nuclear installations in Iran while talks between Iran and the United States on the status of Iran's nuclear programme are underway, said Farhan Haq, deputy spokesperson for the secretary-general.

The secretary-general recalls the obligation of UN member states to act in accordance with the UN Charter and international law, the spokesperson said.

The secretary-general asks both sides to show maximum restraint, avoiding at all costs a descent into deeper conflict, a situation that the region can hardly afford, the spokesperson added.

Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said their jets struck many military and nuclear sites in different areas of Iran.

Iran's official news agency reported that two senior commanders of Islamic Revolution Guards Corps and two nuclear scientists were killed in the airstrikes.

Both Israel and Iran closed their airspace following the attacks, and Israel declared a nationwide state of emergency.

UN chief condemns Israeli airstrikes on Iran amid nuclear talks

UN chief condemns Israeli airstrikes on Iran amid nuclear talks

UN chief condemns Israeli airstrikes on Iran amid nuclear talks

UN chief condemns Israeli airstrikes on Iran amid nuclear talks

Chinese Premier Li Qiang on Thursday presided over a State Council executive meeting that studied work on building a unified national market and reviewed and approved a plan for the development of a modern emergency response system during the 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026-2030).

Noting that building a unified national market is essential to advancing high-quality development, the meeting called for deepening institutional frameworks in areas such as property rights protection, market access, fair competition, social credit and market exit mechanisms.

The meeting also urged efforts to advance high-standard connectivity of market infrastructure to facilitate smooth economic circulation and effectively reduce logistics costs across society.

Emergency management is critical to protecting people's lives and property, the meeting said. It called for accelerating the development of a modern emergency response system, deepening reform and innovation in emergency management, and improving coordinated response mechanisms.

Efforts should be made to strengthen risk prevention at the source, enhance monitoring, forecasting and early warning, and accelerate a shift in governance toward proactive prevention, according to the meeting.

A draft revision of the Law on the People's Bank of China was also discussed and approved in principle at the meeting, which decided to submit the draft to the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress for deliberation.

Chinese premier chairs State Council executive meeting