In a moment that quickly went viral, Dorothy Shea, the US Chargé d’Affaires to the United Nations, mistakenly blamed Israel for spreading “chaos, terror and suffering” in the Middle East—before promptly correcting herself to say “Iran’s government” during a UN Security Council (UNSC) meeting on Friday.
Shea, representing the United States amid growing tensions between Israel and Iran, was delivering a statement strongly condemning Iran’s actions and reiterating American support for Israel.
“Israel’s government has also spread chaos, terror and suffering throughout the region,” Shea read out, before pausing, shaking her head, and quickly clarifying: “Iran’s government has also spread chaos, terror and suffering throughout the region.”
Despite the slip, she continued her speech, reaffirming President Donald Trump’s position that Iran must completely abandon its nuclear ambitions, and emphasized that Tehran remains the main source of instability in the region. She also accused Iran of ideological and material support to Hamas, referencing the October 7 attack on Israel.
US Reiterates Support to Israel
“Let there be no doubt that the United States continues to stand with Israel and supports its actions against Iran’s nuclear ambitions,” Shea stated. She also underscored that Iran has called for the destruction of Israel and ‘death to America’, reinforcing US concerns.
While denying direct US involvement in recent Israeli strikes on Iranian targets, the diplomat said the UNSC must urge Iran to change course, warning that Iran has everything it needs to build a nuclear weapon—except a final decision by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Iran Warns US Against Escalation
Responding to these remarks, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi warned on Saturday that any US entry into the conflict would be “very, very dangerous for everyone”, indicating further escalation could provoke wider regional instability.
The slip-up by Shea has since drawn wide attention online, especially given the high stakes of the Israel-Iran conflict and the sensitive diplomatic platform of the UN Security Council.
