New York – In a historic first, a spouse of a world leader presided over a meeting of the United Nations Security Council on Monday. First Lady Melania Trump of U.S. President Donald Trump, chaired the session in New York, highlighting the impact of conflict on children’s education in war-torn regions.
During the meeting, she emphasized America’s role in promoting tolerance in education and advancing global peace. She also expressed sympathy for the families of U.S. military personnel and wished for the speedy recovery of those injured.
“America stands not only with American children but with children around the world. My hope is that peace will return to your lives soon,” Melania Trump said.
Rosemary DiCarlo, UN Assistant Secretary-General, reminded the council that children are often the most affected when conflicts arise. She cited the closure of schools in Israel, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain, and Oman due to military actions, which have forced students to shift to online learning.
Iranian officials claimed that 153 people were killed in an attack on a primary school in Minab on Saturday and held the United States and Israel responsible.
Ahead of the session, Iran’s ambassador to the UN, Amir Saeed Iravani, criticized the timing of the meeting, calling it “shameful and hypocritical” that the U.S. would convene a children’s safety discussion on the first day of its Security Council presidency.
The U.S. Central Command confirmed that the incident is under investigation, while the Israeli military said it had no knowledge of any operations in the area. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that the United States would not knowingly target any schools.
