Iran urges UN to halt US, Israeli military actions

In a letter to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and the Security Council on Saturday, Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi urged the United Nations, particularly the Security Council, to take immediate action to halt "the illegal use of force" by the United States and Israel against Iran.

In the letter, Araghchi said that on Saturday, the U.S. and Israel blatantly violated Iran's national sovereignty and territorial integrity by launching attacks on defensive installations and civilian sites across multiple Iranian cities. He characterized these actions as a clear violation of the UN Charter and an unmistakable armed aggression against Iran.

In response to this aggressive act, Araghchi emphasized that Iran reserves its inherent and legal right to self-defense under Article 51 of the UN Charter, and that the Armed Forces of Iran will utilize all necessary defensive capabilities and measures to counter this "criminal aggression".

The letter warned that all bases, facilities, and assets of hostile forces in the region should be considered legitimate military targets within the scope of Iran's lawful exercise of its right to self-defense.

The United States and Israel, it added, should bear full and direct responsibility for all consequences arising from their actions, including any escalation of tensions.

Citing the serious and far-reaching impact of this armed aggression on regional and international peace and security, Iran called on the UN Secretary-General and Security Council members to take immediate action. Araghchi also called for an urgent convening of a Security Council emergency session to take necessary and immediate measures to halt the illegal use of force and hold the aggressors accountable.

Iran also appealed to all UN member states to strongly condemn this act of aggression.

At least 201 people were killed and 747 others injured in the U.S.-Israel joint strikes on Iran, the Iranian Red Crescent Society reported Saturday night, adding that at least 24 of Iran's 31 provinces were affected by the attacks.

Iran urges UN to halt US, Israeli military actions

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