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.

 


Syrian authorities find remains of five victims of Assad regime

Updated 58 min 48 sec ago
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Syrian authorities find remains of five victims of Assad regime

  • The remains of the individuals were scattered on open ground near a house in the village of Al-Qashla, near Manbij

LONDON: Syrian authorities completed the recovery of the remains of at least five individuals in eastern Aleppo province, believed to have died due to the brutal practices of the deposed Bashar Assad regime.

The Syrian Civil Defense found the remains of individuals scattered on open ground near a house in the village of Al-Qashla, near Manbij, according to the Syrian Arab News Agency.

They have been surveying and investigating the area since Monday, when the first report of human remains came through, in coordination with the National Authority for the Missing.

Authorities have found multiple mass graves in Syria since the fall of the Assad regime in December 2024.

Last week, authorities reported that the remains of 14 individuals were found in the Adra industrial area, northeast of Damascus, during excavation for mill foundations in the area.

According to the Syrian Network for Human Rights, nearly 177,000 people have been forcibly disappeared in Syria since March 2011.