Melania Trump chaired a meeting of the UN Security Council

The wife of US President Donald Trump, Melania Trump, chaired a meeting of the UN Security Council on the situation of children in armed conflict. The event took place in New York on Monday, March 2, amid the US and Israeli military operation against Iran. The first lady called the current times "challenging." “The United States stands with all children, all over the world,” Melania Trump emphasized, making it clear that she was describing the general situation, and not specifically the conflict in the Middle East. “I hope peace will be given to you soon,” she added. Shortly before the event, Iran's permanent representative to the UN, Amir Saeed Iravani, expressed the opinion that the holding of a UN Security Council meeting under the chairmanship of the United States on the topic of protecting children while the US army is firing missiles at Iranian cities is "deeply shameful and worthy of criticism in the highest degree." The United States is the country holding the rotating presidency of the UN Security Council in March. Moreover, the situation when the wife of the head of state chaired a meeting of the UN Security Council was the first such case in the history of this body. Traditionally, presidents, prime ministers, foreign ministers or permanent representatives of countries act as chairpersons at a meeting of the UN Security Council. The previous meeting of the UN Security Council took place on February 28. It was urgently convened in connection with the start of the US and Israeli military operation in Iran. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned the US and Israeli airstrikes on the Islamic Republic as a violation of international law, including the UN Charter. At the same time, he condemned Iran's retaliatory strikes as a violation of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the countries of the Middle East.