UN Security Council meets Thursday to discuss escalating tensions in Iran

The United Nations Security Council will hold an emergency meeting Thursday to address the situation in Iran amid escalating tensions between Tehran and the United States, according to the office of UN Secretary-General António Guterres.

The 15-member council is scheduled to convene at 3 p.m. New York time, officials said. The meeting comes as protests against Iranian authorities have resulted in thousands of deaths and tens of thousands of detentions, according to reports.

U.S. President Donald Trump has repeatedly threatened military action against Iran, contributing to heightened regional tensions. The council's agenda will focus on the broader Middle East situation alongside developments within Iran itself.

Stéphane Dujarric, spokesman for Secretary-General Guterres, said Wednesday that the UN is "deeply concerned" about conditions in Iran, particularly regarding images of protesters killed during demonstrations. He expressed firm opposition to the violence, though his full statement was not completed in available reports.

The council includes permanent members United States, China, Russia, France, and the United Kingdom, along with ten non-permanent members. However, analysts noted that no practical resolution is expected to emerge from the meeting. Russia, an Iranian ally, and the United States, which opposes Iran's government, both hold veto power in the council, making consensus unlikely given their opposing positions on Iran policy.

Within Iran, ongoing protests continue against government authorities. The country's airspace, which had been largely closed to international flights, has since been reopened, according to reports.