India has called on the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) to make mitigating the humanitarian consequences of armed conflicts an immediate priority, warning that disruptions caused by wars are increasingly threatening global food security.

Speaking at a UNSC open debate titled “Food Under Fire: The Security Council’s Role in Mitigating Global and Local Food Crises” on Tuesday, India's Permanent Representative to the UN, P. Harish, said conflicts were creating consequences that extend well beyond the areas where fighting is taking place. 

Conflicts Threaten Food Security

Harish said disruptions to energy markets, fertiliser supplies, maritime transport, humanitarian logistics and agricultural trade were allowing regional conflicts to create wider pressure on food supplies.

“Today’s conflicts increasingly generate ripple effects far beyond the immediate theatre of hostilities,” he said.

India's intervention comes amid concerns over disruptions to major trade and shipping routes, which can affect the movement and cost of food, fertilisers and other essential commodities globally. 

India Seeks Humanitarian Access

Harish said the Security Council's immediate focus should be on reducing the humanitarian impact of conflicts.

According to India's position, this requires safe, rapid and unimpeded humanitarian access, along with support for de-confliction arrangements that can allow humanitarian operations to continue during hostilities.

India also urged the Council to ensure that measures such as sanctions do not unintentionally obstruct humanitarian assistance or legitimate food and agricultural trade. 

The Indian envoy noted that developing countries with high dependence on imports are particularly vulnerable when international supply chains are disrupted.

India's Food Security Approach

While calling for action by the Security Council, Harish also stressed that building resilient and food-secure societies remains primarily the responsibility of national governments, supported by the UN development system and specialised agencies.

He highlighted India's domestic food-security measures, including the National Food Security Act, which provides statutory entitlement to subsidised food grains.

Harish also pointed to direct benefit transfers under PM-KISAN, saying support to more than 110 million farming households has strengthened the economic resilience of small and marginal farmers. 

India's promotion of millets, including its role in the International Year of Millets in 2023, was also cited as an example of efforts to promote climate-resilient and nutrient-rich crops.

UN Highlights Major Conflict Zones

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, speaking at the same debate, highlighted the impact of conflicts and disruptions in several strategically important regions.

He pointed to the Black Sea, where the Russia-Ukraine conflict has affected grain and energy exports, as well as the Strait of Hormuz, where restrictions and disruptions have contributed to higher commodity prices and reduced availability.

Guterres also referred to attacks on commercial vessels in the Red Sea, warning that they were putting additional pressure on supply chains carrying food and other commodities. 

Proposal for Hormuz Corridor

Guterres said the UN has proposed a protected corridor to facilitate the movement of fertilisers and food grains through the Strait of Hormuz.

The proposed mechanism would initially focus on fertilisers and related raw materials and could later be expanded to other products. A task force led by the UN Office for Project Services has reportedly developed a framework to register and verify vessels carrying fertiliser and associated products.

Guterres said the success of the proposal would depend on cooperation and political will from the parties involved. 

Maritime Disruptions Add Pressure

The World Food Programme's Acting Director Carl Skau also warned that serious disruptions to maritime trade could push tens of millions more people into food insecurity.

The discussions at the UNSC underline India's broader concern that conflicts are no longer confined to their immediate geographic impact. Disruptions to shipping, energy, fertiliser and agricultural trade can spread economic and humanitarian pressures across borders.

India's call for immediate humanitarian action therefore places food security alongside humanitarian access as an important consideration in the Security Council's response to conflicts.

Amid rising tensions in West Asia, the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) has condemned recent missile attacks by Yemen's Houthi rebels against Saudi Arabia and attacks targeting commercial vessels in the Red Sea.

Following an emergency meeting on Friday, Security Council members expressed concern over the worsening security situation in Yemen and warned that continued escalation could threaten regional stability and international peace and security.

Saudi Arabia Missile Attacks

The UNSC said Houthi forces had launched missile attacks against Saudi Arabia since July 13. The Council also condemned attacks on commercial vessels since July 22.

Members of the Security Council urged the Houthis to avoid further escalation and called for existing dialogue channels to be used to address concerns and reduce tensions.

The attacks on commercial shipping in the Red Sea have raised fresh concerns over maritime security and international trade. The waterway is a major route for global shipping, and prolonged instability could disrupt regional as well as international commerce.

Support for Yemen’s Sovereignty

The Security Council reaffirmed its strong commitment to Yemen's sovereignty, independence, unity and territorial integrity.

The Council stressed that Yemen's sovereignty over its territory and airspace must be respected. It also called on all parties to comply with international law and relevant UN Security Council resolutions.

The statement comes amid growing concerns over military activity and competing claims of authority in Yemen.

Concern Over Airport Landings

The UNSC also condemned what it described as unauthorised aircraft landings at Yemeni airports.

According to the Council, aircraft landed at Sana'a International Airport on July 3 and Hudaydah Airport on July 13without permission or clearance from the Yemeni government.

The Security Council said such landings violated international civil aviation rules.

It emphasised that flights operating to Yemeni airports should be coordinated with the Yemeni government and receive prior authorisation.

Focus on Humanitarian Access

The Council also highlighted the need for safe, secure and sustainable air access to Yemen for humanitarian and civilian purposes.

It said humanitarian and civilian flights should be coordinated with the Yemeni government and conducted in accordance with international law and applicable civil aviation regulations.

The UNSC stressed that efforts to address Yemen's security crisis should also take into account the needs of civilians and humanitarian organisations.

Reference to Resolution 2216

The Security Council reminded all parties of their obligations under international law and relevant UN resolutions, including Resolution 2216, adopted in 2015.

The resolution includes restrictions on the supply, sale or transfer of arms and related military assistance to individuals and entities designated by the Security Council's 2140 Sanctions Committee, including the Houthis.

The Council urged all sides to comply with the existing sanctions framework and avoid actions that could further destabilise Yemen.

UN Peace Efforts

The UNSC also reiterated its support for UN Special Envoy for Yemen Hans Grundberg and his efforts to find a political solution to the conflict.

The Council backed a negotiated, inclusive and Yemeni-led and Yemeni-owned political settlement, based on agreed references and relevant Security Council resolutions.

The latest developments have heightened concerns over regional security and freedom of navigation, particularly around the Red Sea.

The Security Council urged restraint and called on the Houthis and other concerned parties to avoid further escalation and use dialogue to resolve outstanding issues.

The Council warned that continued military escalation could undermine ongoing peace efforts in Yemen and create wider security risks across the region.

India has delivered a sharp response to Pakistan at the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), asserting that continued cross-border terrorism has fundamentally eroded the trust required for cooperation under the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT). New Delhi also firmly rejected Pakistan's remarks on Jammu and Kashmir, reiterating its long-standing position that the Union Territory is an inseparable part of India.

Speaking during the UNSC High-Level Open Debate on "Natural Resources Governance: the Foundation of Peace, Security and Prosperity", India's Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Harish Parvathaneni, accused Pakistan of misusing the international platform to promote what he described as a false narrative on bilateral issues.

Addressing the Indus Waters Treaty, the Indian envoy said the agreement was built on mutual trust and goodwill, conditions that, according to India, cannot exist while cross-border terrorism continues to be used as an instrument of state policy.

"Our position on the Indus Waters Treaty remains clear and consistent. Cooperation based on mutual trust and goodwill cannot be expected when cross-border terrorism is regularly deployed as an instrument of State policy," the ambassador said during the debate.

India also used the opportunity to reiterate its position on Jammu and Kashmir, dismissing Pakistan's claims over the region. Ambassador Parvathaneni stated that Jammu and Kashmir "has always been, is, and will remain an integral and inalienable part of India."

He further asserted that the only unresolved issue relating to Jammu and Kashmir concerns what India describes as Pakistan's illegal occupation of parts of Indian territory.

The diplomatic exchange comes months after India placed the Indus Waters Treaty in abeyance following the April 22, 2025 terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, in which 26 people were killed. After the attack, the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) announced that the six-decade-old treaty would remain suspended until Pakistan takes what India describes as credible and irreversible steps to end support for cross-border terrorism.

According to government sources, New Delhi believes the circumstances under which the treaty was signed in 1960 have changed significantly due to persistent security concerns, changing developmental priorities, population growth and climate-related challenges.

India has also accused Pakistan of bypassing the treaty's dispute resolution framework. Officials said the agreement provides for a sequential process beginning with bilateral discussions, followed by reference to a Neutral Expert and, only if necessary, a Court of Arbitration. However, India maintains that Pakistan directly approached the Court of Arbitration, making those proceedings unacceptable from New Delhi's perspective.

Government sources further alleged that Pakistan has repeatedly objected to Indian hydropower projects on the eastern rivers despite those projects falling within India's rights under the treaty. At the same time, officials argued that Pakistan has not adequately developed its own water storage and river management infrastructure.

Officials also disclosed that India formally approached Pakistan in 2023 seeking discussions on modernising the treaty to reflect present-day realities, including advances in engineering, climate change, increasing water demand and population growth. According to the government, those proposals did not lead to meaningful progress.

Meanwhile, India is preparing to accelerate several strategic hydropower projects in the Chenab river basin to utilise the water resources allocated to it under the treaty framework. Key projects include the 1,856 MW Sawalkote Hydroelectric Project, 1,000 MW Pakal Dul Project, 850 MW Ratle Project, 624 MW Kiru Project, and the 540 MW Kwar Project.

The government also plans to undertake sediment flushing and reservoir management at the Salal and Baglihar hydroelectric projects to improve storage capacity, enhance operational efficiency and strengthen dam safety.

India's latest remarks at the United Nations underline the widening diplomatic divide between New Delhi and Islamabad over terrorism, water-sharing arrangements and Jammu and Kashmir. With the Indus Waters Treaty remaining in abeyance, future engagement on the agreement is expected to depend on broader political and security developments between the two neighbouring countries.

Iran Launches Missiles at Israel Minutes After Trump’s ‘Stone Age’ Threat

Trump declared victory over Iran’s military, but incoming missile fire from Tehran exposed the fragility of that claim.

Within minutes of US President Donald Trump claiming that Iran’s military capabilities had been destroyed, the Israeli military detected a fresh wave of Iranian missile launches. The timing directly contradicted the President’s assertion that Washington had won the war.

Trump, in a televised address, said the United States had achieved a victory “unlike the world has ever seen.” He insisted Iran’s navy was wiped out and its drone fleet no longer existed. He warned Tehran that without a deal, the US would bomb the country “back to the stone age.”

Almost immediately after he finished speaking, air raid sirens sounded across northern Israel. The Israeli military confirmed its defensive systems were actively intercepting incoming threats. No casualties were reported in the initial wave.

Missile Launch After Victory Claim

The Iranian semi-official Tasnim news agency stated the attack was launched directly after Trump’s speech. The agency noted Tehran was responding to the President’s claim that Iranian missile power had been eliminated.

Israel’s Channel 12 broadcaster reported that all incoming rockets were intercepted. The Israeli Home Front quickly lifted shelter directives for residents in the Upper Galilee region. However, the incident proved that Iran retains significant offensive capabilities despite US assertions.

Regional Fallout Spreads Quickly

The escalation is no longer confined to Iranian and Israeli territory. The UAE confirmed its air defences were responding to missile and drone threats from Iran. Bahrain also activated warning sirens following reports of falling debris.

Earlier in the day, a fire broke out at a data centre owned by Amazon Web Services in Bahrain. The Financial Times linked the incident to an Iranian strike. Bahraini authorities confirmed fire crews were dousing the flames at the unnamed facility.

Economic Crisis Deepens in West Asia

The United Nations Development Programme warned the ongoing war is triggering a regional economic collapse. The UNDP estimates the region’s GDP could fall by up to 6%. Ship traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has dropped by over 70%.

Oil prices surged past $106 per barrel following Trump’s speech. Brent crude jumped 5% as markets priced in a prolonged conflict. Between 16 lakh and 36 lakh jobs are at risk across the Middle East, according to UN estimates.

Hezbollah Joins Northern Front

Lebanon’s Hezbollah announced it had launched rocket and drone attacks on Israeli troop positions. The group targeted settlements near the border, including al-Malikiyah and Even Menachem.

The Lebanese armed group also claimed responsibility for a rocket barrage aimed at Israeli infrastructure east of Haifa. This opens a second front for Israeli forces already bracing for continued Iranian missile barrages.

World Leaders Call for Restraint

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese questioned the logic of further fighting. He noted that Trump’s stated objectives have largely been met, adding it is “not clear what more needs to be achieved.”

Britain announced it will host a 35-nation meeting to resolve the Strait of Hormuz crisis. Notably, the United States was not invited to the talks. Meanwhile, France clarified that NATO’s role is limited to protecting Europe, refusing to back US military action in the strait.

What Lies Ahead for India

For India, the crisis poses a direct threat to energy security. The government has already exempted customs duty on key petrochemical products until June 30 to cushion the blow. With oil hovering near $120 per barrel, inflationary pressures are expected to rise.

As Trump vowed to “hit Iran extremely hard” over the next two to three weeks, the window for diplomacy appears closed. The Strait of Hormuz remains blocked, and with Iran still able to launch missiles, the US President’s declaration of victory remains unsubstantiated on the ground.