Danny Danon (Israel) on the situation in Iran - Security Council Media Stakeout Media Stakeouts Date: 5 March 2026 Language: English Transcript: https://transcripts.un.org/ar/asset/k1e/k1eaxrvog0?lang=en Transcripts available through this tool are created by using automatic speech recognition and are not official records nor official documents of the United Nations. Official records and official documents are available on the Official Document System of the United Nations. --- Speaker 1 [0:01]: Good afternoon, everyone, and thank you for joining us. Please. I'd like to introduce Israel's ambassador to the UN to provide Danny Dunon to provide an update on Operation Roaring Lion. He'll take your questions afterwards. Please remember to state your name and news outlet. Israel · Ambassador to the UN · Danny Dunon [0:17]: Thank you. Good morning. The radical Islamic regime in Tehran continues to fire missiles and drones indiscriminately across our region. Their strikes are not just targeted at Israel. They are targeting their neighbors. The uae, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman, Iraq, Jordan. Just this morning, Azerbaijan. One drone struck an airport terminal. Another fell beside a school. And beyond their immediate neighbors, other UN member states have been targeted. Earlier this week, Cyprus. A member of the EU was attacked yesterday. An Iranian missile crossed the region and was intercepted above Turkey, a NATO member, before being shot down. More than 780 missiles fired. More than 1,600 drones launched. Six days, 13 countries. Iran has struck more Arab countries than Israel has in its entire existence. This is a regime going down and trying to set the entire region on fire at its force. It will not work. To the people of Israel, to our neighbors in the region and to the Iranian people who are paying a price for this regime's recklessness, be patient. We are advancing. It is only a matter of time before the rocket fire is minimized and their capabilities are dismantled every day. Their capabilities shrink every hour. We, together with the U.S. degrade, destroy and dismantle the launch sites and stockpiles. The volume of missiles they are firing is already falling and we are only six days in. They are getting weaker and weaker as they lash out in desperation. Let us be absolutely clear about what we are witnessing. On one side, a radical Islamist terrorist regime firing at civilian population centers. On the other side, Israel and the US striking military infrastructure with precision. We target missile launchers. We target command centers. We target terror. We do not target civilians. This they do. That is the main difference. Yet from this very podium, the Iranian regime's representative stood here and tried to sell you fairy tales. He said, and allow me to quote him directly, we target only military objectives. That's what he said. We do not target civilians. We do not target the interests of neighboring states. Mr. Iravani, that is not just inaccurate, it is a deliberate lie. Look at the past five days in the uae, missiles hit Dubai and Abu Dhabi airports. In Bahrain, drones struck hotels and homes. In Manama. In Kuwait, civilian sites were hit. And in Israel, ballistic missiles tore into neighborhoods. Children were killed. Iranian fire is all over Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Iraq and now Azerbaijan. Home, hotels, airports. That is not military targeting. That is indiscriminate aggression. You know, sometimes in times like these, people can get overwhelmed by the reports, by the headlines. A few are even asking, was the threat really all that serious? So let me make it clear. This is what we are facing. This is the engine and the wing of an Iranian Shahed 136 attack drone acquired by the watchdog United Against Nuclear Iran. Not a prop, not a toy, a weapon. Look at the wing. Built to travel thousands of miles across borders, it can reach cities in Israel, in Europe, and in a few months, even the US carrying more than 100 pounds of explosives. Now imagine it aimed at your house, at your living room, at your child's bedroom. This is the terror we are facing. When we say missiles and drones, it can sound so distant. It is not distant. That is why we are acting. You do not wait for a regime that fires at airports, hotels and homes to place nuclear warheads on its ballistic missiles. You do not gamble with your survival. We are only six days into this operation and we have seen so many drones, so many missiles, but everything is severely degraded. This is what happens when the US And Israel act together. An extraordinary combination of unmatched power exercised with precision and resolve. A radical Islamic regime that believed it could intimidate the region with all those weapons is discovering otherwise. It cannot. And this effort is far from over. I want to remind you our objectives are clear. No nuclear weapon, no ballistic missile program, no naval threat, no terror proxies operating across the region. We will dismantle them. We will finish this job. Thank you. U.S. News & World Report · Journalist · Pamela Falk [7:54]: Thank you. Thank you. Ambassador, it's Pamela Falk from U.S. news World Report. How worried is Israel about the threats to global energy and oil supplies, particularly in the Strait of Hormuz? Thank you. Israel · Ambassador to the UN · Danny Dunon [8:11]: Well, I think we all have to pay attention to what the Iranians are trying to do. They use those drones and we have to admit they produced thousands of drones and ballistic missiles in order to affect world economy. When we look at the markets, we see that they are failing. But I think President Trump was very clear about it, that the US with the support of other countries will ensure that the straits will be open. And as I said earlier, we need to be patient. Give us few more days. You know, today when the people of Iran are looking at the skies, they see our aircrafts, they see the American aircraft. Give us a few more days. It will be much, much harder for the Iranian to disrupt the vessels coming through the Strait of Hormuz. Thank you, Mario. Iran International · Journalist · Mariam Ramati [9:05]: Mariam Ramati with Iran. International reports indicates that that Mushtaba Khamenei is going to be the next leader of Iran. Do you have any opinion on that? And also you said Iran is already reducing its ballistic missiles and attacks and losing its basically power in the war. Do you think that's a tactic or it's really the Islamic Republic not having enough missiles to, to fire anymore. Israel · Ambassador to the UN · Danny Dunon [9:37]: So I will start with the second part. It's not a tactic, it's reality. You know, the hundreds of attacks against the missile launchers, against the infrastructure of terror, we see the results. So if, you know, you saw at the beginning of the war around 100 missiles landing in Israel today, you're talking about maybe 20. So I'm sure we will see that going to that direction. Not because they decided to, because they don't have the ability to do that. Regarding the name you mentioned, you know, we will find and hunt down whoever is plotting against Israel. I don't care what will be his name, who was his father. We will hunt them down. And I think they know it in the leadership in Iran today. Journalist [10:25]: Mr. Ambassador, so this, this morning, Israel told the people of the Dahya in Beirut to leave the section. And so what's the object there? Secondly, at the same time, another Iranian proxy, the Houthis, are sitting quiet. How do you make, what do you think of the difference there? Israel · Ambassador to the UN · Danny Dunon [10:53]: Well, first, you know, I addressed the issue of Lebanon yesterday, and we said very clearly to the Lebanese government that they have to take action against Hezbollah. I have to give the credit for what they are saying. They've issued very strong, bold statements, but they have to take action against Hezbollah. And I think our message is very clear. We will find the operatives of Hezbollah and the Iranian regime representatives in Lebanon and we will eliminate them. We are trying to minimize civilian casualties. That's why we give the heads up to civilians to move away from the facilities of Hezbollah in the region. Regarding your second question, you know, we have no conflict with many of the countries or militias in the region, but if Israel will be attacked, we will use all of our power to defend ourselves. Yeah. Mr. Journalist [11:48]: Ambassador, what case would you make to the American people who are skeptical of this war, that it's beneficial to America in the long term? I know Trump was almost assassinated by the Iranian regime. What other argument would you make to the American people why it's worth us intervening? Israel · Ambassador to the UN · Danny Dunon [12:10]: I think they should look at the actions of the regime in the last 47 years and analyze it. What they said, what they did, the attacks against US Military compounds in Lebanon, the attacks against President Trump that You mentioned and understand that it had nothing to do with what the US Will do or will not do. It's pure hate. There is no border between the US And Iran. There is no conflict. But still you will see the Iranian regime chanting against the American people. It's radicalism, hate. You have to confront it. You can delay it, but at the end of the day it will come to your shores. Linda? NPR · Journalist · Linda Fasulo [12:54]: Ambassador LINDA fasullo, NPR My question has to do with Hamas as a proxy. Are there any indications that Hamas is playing, plans, anything or getting involved? And secondly, have any of the Gulf states been in touch with Israel about the war? Israel · Ambassador to the UN · Danny Dunon [13:12]: So regarding the second question, you know, I will not elaborate, but we share our know how and intelligence with whoever wants to that support. And today when you see what's happened in the streets of Riyadh, Abu Dhabi and other cities in the Gulf, very similar to what we are facing in Israel. So we share the same enemy as we speak. Your first question was about Hamas. I don't think Hamas had the capabilities today to attack Israel. And we fought for two years. We degraded the capabilities. It would be a grave mistake to to start something with Israel today. I think they know it, but even if they will try to, their capabilities are minimized. Associated Press · Journalist · Edith Lederer [14:04]: Thank you very much, Mr. Ambassador. Edith Lederer from the Associated Press. This war has now involved at least 10 other countries and calls have been escalating for an end to the conflict and diplomatic negotiations to resume to end it. Does Israel support diplomatic efforts to bring this war to an end? Israel · Ambassador to the UN · Danny Dunon [14:38]: I think diplomacy will come into action. Not yet. Not yet. We have to finish the job. We have to dismantle the machine of terror that they built for so many years. It will not last forever. It will not be months, it will be weeks or days. But we need to continue. We need to continue to hammer, to dismantle the capabilities and then, you know, to use diplomacy to ensure that they are not doing the same. Because if the regime will continue, you know, it's only a matter of years until we're going to be in the same place talking about another attack against the regime. So we have to build a stronger mechanism. You know, we are all familiar with the jcpoa, which failed and with the negotiations. So we're going to have to install real effective mechanisms that will prevent Iran from becoming a threat. Thank you very much, Speaker 15 [15:34]: Ambassador. Adlamasouddin national with regards to Lebanon, is Israel planning a ground offensive like in 1982? Israel · Ambassador to the UN · Danny Dunon [15:43]: So, you know, we have no desire to engage in any military operation, but when we see that Hezbollah is sending rockets into Israel from Lebanon saying they want to avenge the death of Ayatollah Khamenei and the Lebanese government is not capable of blocking them, then we have to step in. So we will do whatever is necessary from the air, from the ground, from the sea. But we have no desire to do that. And I think it's still not too late. I think the Lebanese government can still stop the escalation, put more pressure on Hezbollah and tell them don't drag Lebanon into it. If you want to go fight against Israel, don't use Lebanon as a launching pad against Israel. So it's not too late. But we are, you know, we also saw the signed of Hezbollah preparing for escalation. So we put more troops on the border to prevent any invasion, especially after October 7th. So yes, we have, we have more presence on the northern border today and we take positions in order to make sure that we will not be caught by surprise. Thank you very much. Speaker 17 [17:00]: They will stay for a few min.