UN officials calls for restraint amid rising Iran-Israel tensions

An emergency UN Security Council meeting on Sunday (April 14) saw Iran and Israel condemn each others' actions in recent weeks, making for a session meeting in the wake of Iran's unprecedented and retaliatory attack on Israel the Saturday prior.

Iran had launched a swarm of explosive drones and fired missiles in its first-ever direct attack on Israeli territory, risking a major escalation.

The attack was in response to an Israeli strike on Iran's embassy compound in Syria on April 1 that killed top Revolutionary Guards commanders. It also followed months of clashes between Israel and Iran's regional allies, triggered by the war in Gaza.

Many countries called for restraint, and Iran itself has stated its intention to avoid further escalation and that it considers the matter to be “concluded”.

Russia's foreign ministry previously said that the West had blocked attempts in the UN Security Council to respond to the Israeli strike on Iran's Damascus embassy compound.