France calls for urgent meeting of UN Security Council on Iran

French President Emmanuel Macron on Saturday called for an urgent meeting of the United Nations Security Council, saying the outbreak of a war between the US, Israel and Iran has “serious consequences” for international peace and security. (AFP)
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Updated 28 February 2026
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France calls for urgent meeting of UN Security Council on Iran

  • US and Israel launched strikes on Iran on Saturday, plunging the Middle East into a new conflict
  • Bahrain, Colombia, Russia and China also called for UN meeting

PARIS: French President Emmanuel Macron on Saturday called for an urgent meeting of the United Nations Security Council, saying the outbreak of a war between the US, Israel and Iran has “serious consequences” for international peace and security.

France was joined in calling for the meeting by Bahrain, Colombia, Russia and China.

Macron spoke separately with leaders of Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Jordan and the president of the autonomous region of Kurdistan, his office said.

France was ready to deploy the necessary resources to protect its closest partners at their request, Macron said on X.

“The current escalation is dangerous for everyone. It must stop. The Iranian regime must understand that it now has no other option but to engage in good-faith negotiations to end its nuclear and ballistic missile programs, as well as its actions to destabilize the region,” Macron said.

“This is absolutely essential for the security of everyone in the Middle East,” he added.

“The Iranian people must also be able to build their future freely. The massacres perpetrated by the Islamic regime discredit it and necessitate that the people be given a voice. The sooner the better.”

The US and Israel launched strikes on Iran on Saturday, plunging the Middle East into a new conflict that President Donald Trump said would end a security threat to the United States and offer Iranians a chance to topple their rulers.

 


War death toll in Lebanon rises to 570: health ministry

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War death toll in Lebanon rises to 570: health ministry

  • Israeli strikes have killed 570 people in Lebanon since the Middle East war spread to the country on March 2, the health ministry said on Wednesday
BEIRUT: Israeli strikes have killed 570 people in Lebanon since the Middle East war spread to the country on March 2, the health ministry said on Wednesday.
The ministry provided a demographic breakdown of those killed, reporting that 439 of them were men, 45 women, and 86 children.
The toll includes 14 health care workers, the ministry said.