United Nations, June 23: The US and Iran exchanged sharp accusations at an emergency meeting of the United Nations Security Council on Monday (Indian time), following US military strikes on three of Iran’s major nuclear facilities, an operation that has drawn global attention and concern over the potential for broader conflict.

Addressing the Council a day after US President Donald Trump confirmed American forces struck the Fordow, Natanz, and Esfahan nuclear sites, acting US Ambassador to the UN, Dorothy Camille Shea, said that the strikes were aimed at dismantling Iran’s nuclear enrichment capacity and ending the nuclear threat posed by what she called the “world’s foremost state sponsor of terror”.

“This operation sought to eliminate a longstanding but rapidly escalating source of global insecurity and to aid our ally Israel in our inherent right of collective self-defence consistent with the UN Charter,” she added.

Shea accused Iran of long obstructing transparency in its nuclear activities, saying it has “stonewalled good-faith efforts” in recent negotiations.

“For 40 years, the Iranian government has called for ‘Death to America’ and ‘Death to Israel’ and posed a constant menace to the peace and security of its neighbours, the US, and the entire world,” she added.

Shea warned Tehran against further escalation, saying, “As President Trump said, any Iranian attack — direct or indirect — against Americans or American bases will be met with devastating retaliation.”

Meanwhile, Iran’s UN envoy Amir Saeid Iravani condemned the strikes as a “blatant crime” and accused the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of dragging Trump into a conflict that began on June 13 with an Israeli assault on Iranian nuclear sites and scientists.

“The US decided to destroy diplomacy,” Iravani said, adding that Iran’s armed forces would determine the “timing, nature and scale” of a proportionate response.

Blaming the Israeli Prime Minister directly, he said, “The internationally wanted war criminal Netanyahu succeeded in hijacking US foreign policy, dragging the US into yet another costly, baseless war.”

He called the strikes “profoundly heartbreaking,” stating, “Today, another stain was recorded in the political history of the US.”

He reminded the Council that the US, a founding member of the UN and signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), had once again resorted to the use of force despite being the only country to have used nuclear weapons in conflict.

Iravani also targeted Israel, calling it “an outlaw nuclear-armed regime that refused to join the NPT” and has for decades promoted a “false narrative” about Iran’s nuclear intentions without providing “a shred of evidence”.

“This is a historic test for this Council, for the United Nations as a whole. If this Council fails to act and condemn this blatant aggression, the stain of complicity will forever remain on its conscience, as it does with Gaza,” he warned.

Israel’s Ambassador to the UN, Danny Danon, defended the US actions, saying “history changed” with the strikes.

“The US, the leader of the free world, removed the greatest existential threat facing the free world. Just like our Operation Rising Lion, this was not a war of choice. This action was a necessity. It was a righteous act for the United States, for Israel, for the Middle East, and for the world,” he said.

Danon praised American leadership during the crisis: “Let the record show that when the world stood at the edge of a nuclear disaster, America stepped forward. When time ran out, America showed courage. And when the moment came to confront the forces of extinction, America led.”

He accused Tehran of using the negotiating table as a cover while advancing its missile and uranium enrichment programs.

“Make no mistake, the cost of inaction would have been catastrophic. A nuclear Iran would have been a death sentence just as much for you as it would have for us,” he said.

Danon also said that Iran’s influence extended well beyond its borders, arming militias in Iraq, funding the Houthis in Yemen, plotting murder in Europe, and threatening Western capitals with its growing ballistic missile arsenal.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres expressed grave concern over the developments, warning that the US bombing of Iran’s nuclear facilities marks a “perilous turn” for a region already under immense strain.

“We must act immediately and decisively to halt the fighting and return to serious, sustained negotiations on the Iran nuclear program. We need a credible, comprehensive and verifiable solution, one that restores trust,” Guterres said.

He emphasised the crossroads facing the international community: “We face a stark choice amid the escalation in the Middle East. One way leads to wider war, deeper suffering and serious damage to the international order. The other leads to de-escalation, diplomacy and dialogue. We know which way is right.”

Mumbai: A unique sight was seen on the streets of Mumbai on Sunday morning when hundreds of people rode bicycles and united against drug abuse. Organised by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) Mumbai and Greater Mumbai Police, the cyclothon gave the message of spreading awareness against drugs.

The “Drugs Free India” campaign started from Bandra Reclamation Bus Station and ended at Juhu Beach.

Big personalities gathered to flag off the cyclothon at 7 am. Naval Bajaj (ADG, ATS), Sharda Nikam (IG, ANTF), Amit Ghavate (Additional Director, NCB Mumbai), Navnath Dhawale (DCP, ANC) and Dr. Deepshikha Birla (Senior Superintendent of India Post) flagged off in the presence of Mumbai North Division and personnel from Narcotics Control Bureau, Mumbai Unit and Anti Narcotics Cell, Mumbai Police.

People of all ages participated in this cyclothon organized by Loha Foundation. From youth to the elderly, everyone raised their voice against drug abuse by riding bicycles. The route was specially chosen keeping in mind traffic and safety, so that the participants do not face any inconvenience.

The walk from Bandra to Juhu was not only good for health but also gave a social message.

The event concluded at Juhu Beach, where common citizens and officials shared their views. Participants said that such events remind us that drug addiction not only ruins the life of one person, but also the entire society. We all have to come together to stop it.

This effort of NCB highlighted the dangers of drug abuse and promoted a healthy, drug-free lifestyle. Officials said that this cyclothon is just a beginning; there will be more such events in the future, which will help in freeing the society from the clutches of drugs.

Mumbai, June 23: The Indian benchmark indices opened in the red on Monday amid weak global cues due to rising Middle East tensions, as selling was seen in the IT and auto sectors in the early trade.

At around 9.30 am, Sensex was trading 677.10 points or 0.82 per cent down at 81,731.07 while the Nifty declined 204.6 point or 0.81 per cent at 24,907.75

Nifty Bank was down 387.75 points or 0.69 per cent at 55,865.10 The Nifty Midcap 100 index was trading at 57,776.05 after dropping 219.45 points or 0.38 per cent. Nifty Smallcap 100 index was at 18,148.95 after declining 45.25 points or 0.25 per cent.

According to analysts, even though the US bombing of Iran’s three nuclear facilities has worsened the crisis, the impact on the market is likely to be limited. The uncertain factor now is the timing and nature of the Iranian response.

“If Iran targets and damages the US defence facilities in the region or hurts US military personnel seriously, the US response can be huge and this might further worsen the crisis. But the market assessment is that there are limits to what Iran can do against US and Israel,” said Dr VK Vijayakumar, Chief Investment Strategist, Geojit Investments Ltd.

The fact is that the closure of Hormuz Strait will harm Iran and Iran’s friend China more than anyone else. The market construct continues to favour a ‘buy on dips’ strategy, he added.

Meanwhile, in the Sensex pack, Infosys, HCL Tech, Hindustan Unilever Limited, Eternal, TCS, Asian Paints, Power Grid, Reliance, ITC were the top losers. Whereas, Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL), Bharti Airtel and Trent were in the list of top gainers.

The foreign institutional investors (FIIs) extended their buying on the fourth consecutive day on June 20 as they bought equities worth Rs 7,940.70 crore. On the other hand, domestic institutional investors (DIIs) sold equities of Rs 3,049.88 crore on the same day.

“We expect our markets to respond unfavourably and open lower before attempting to recover from these initial losses. Immediate resistance is now placed at 25,222 levels. Support has shifted upwards to 24,800 levels,” said Devarsh Vakil, Head of Prime Research at HDFC Securities.

In the Asian markets, Bangkok, Japan, Seoul, Hong Kong and Jakarta were trading in red, while only China was trading in green.

In the last trading session on Friday, Dow Jones in the US closed at 42,206.82, up 35.16 points, or 0.08 per cent. The S&P 500 ended with a loss of 13.03 points, or 0.22 per cent, at 5,967.84 and the Nasdaq closed at 19,447.41, down 98.86 points, or 0.51 per cent.