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The Security Council Security Council Situation Report 29 October 2025
The Situation in the Middle East
Lebanon
In November 2024, after thirteen months of fighting, a ceasefire agreement was reached between the Lebanese militant group, Hezbollah, and the Israeli government. However, Israel has violated the ceasefire with multiple attacks on Hezbollah near the Israel-Lebanon border. The government of Lebanon has withdrawn its troops from the area south of the Litani River, which was set as a demilitarized zone in the ceasefire agreement. The demilitarization of this zone has been assisted by the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL). In June and July 2025, the government of Lebanon requested the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) extend the UNIFIL mission for one year before disbanding it, and withdrawing all peacekeepers by the end of 2026. On 28 August 2025, the UNSC passed Resolution 2790 granting the extension and setting the end date for the UNIFIL mission.
Despite very few Israeli strikes outside of southern Lebanon,on 8 September 2025 an Israeli strike in northeastern Lebanon, close to the Lebanon-Syria border, killed five people. The Israel Defense Forces’ (IDF) Arabic-language spokesperson made a statement that this attack was targeting known Hezbollah positions and infrastructure. On 11 September 2025, the IDF killed Wissam Saeed Jubai in the Tyre district in southern Lebanon. According to the IDF, Jubai was a member of Hezbollah and Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
Syria
In December 2024, the Assad regime, which ruled in Syria for 53 years, fell to a rebel offensive. A transitional government was put in place, with Ahmed al-Sharra sworn in as President in March 2025. Recently, President al-Sharra addressed the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA)—the first Syrian representative to do so in over sixty years—articulating that Syria stands with the people of Gaza, and is ready to take its place on the world stage.
Since the overthrow of the Assad regime, Israel has conducted drone strikes and other military operations against Syria. Israel has justified these military operations by claiming they do not want the weapons left by the Assad regime landing “in hands of extremists.” Talks of a peace and security agreement between these countries are underway. However, Israel’s demand for a humanitarian corridor through Syria to aid members of the Druze religious minority stalled the negotiations in late September 2025.
Bibliography
Brookings Experts (9 December 2024). Commentary The Assad regime falls. What happens now? Brookings.
Chehayeb, Kareem (9 September 2025). Israel airstrikes kill 5 in northeastern Lebanon, including 4 Hezbollah members. KGW8.
Gebeily, Maya (26 September 2025). Exclusive: Israel-Syria talks hit snag over humanitarian corridor, sources say. Reuters.
Moench, Mallory (28 August 2025). Israeli strikes kill six Syrian troops, Syria says. BBC.
Sayeh, Janatan (12 September 2025). Israel strikes IRGC in Lebanon, reports Qods Force arrests in Syria. FDD’s Long War Journal.
Syrian leader addresses United Nations General Assembly (24 September 2025). BBC.
What we know about Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire deal (27 November 2024). BBC.
United Nations Documents:
United Nations, Security Council (2025). Resolution 2790 (2025). S/RES/2790(2025).
The Situation in Ukraine
In February 2022, the Russian Federation launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine. During the subsequent three years of fighting, Russia established military control over portions of the Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions. On the third anniversary of the start of the conflict, the Security Council adopted S/RES/2774 (2025), which implored a swift end to the conflict and urged the creation of a lasting peace between the two States. The resolution represents the international community’s interest in seeing an end to the conflict but was met with a series of concerns failing to address who is the aggressor in the conflict, and how the final peace may manifest. The General Assembly adopted A/RES/ES-11/7, which called for de-escalation and an early cessation of hostilities, emphasized the need for accountability for potential war crimes, called for a complete prisoner exchange to occur along with a return of all civilians who were forcibly transferred and deported and called for an immediate cessation of attacks against critical energy infrastructure.
On 8 September 2025 the Secretary General’s Spokesman, Stéphane Dujarric, stated that the Secretary-General strongly condemns the attacks by the Russian Federation on 7 September targeting governmental institutions in Kyiv, Ukraine and continued to urge an immediate and unconditional ceasefire within Ukraine.
Throughout the conflict, a number of peace conferences have been held to try to bring an end to the conflict. The first negotiations were held in Belarus four days after the initial invasion, but yielded no progress towards potential peace. In September 2022, the Russian Federation rejected a draft peace agreement, stating that the negotiated concessions failed to fully address their concerns. In 2023, Chinese efforts at the 59th Munich Security Conference were met with appreciation from the Russian Federation, but were ultimately rejected as it failed to recognize Russian Federation’s new territorial annexations. Initial progress towards a ceasefire occurred in March 2025, with the proposal of a 30-day ceasefire. Russian Federation President Vladimir Putin rejected the proposal, claiming that Ukraine would use the respite to continue mobilizing and rearming its military rather than negotiating for peace. In May 2025, direct negotiations resumed between Ukraine and the Russian Federation in Istanbul, Türkiye. Following that, in August 2025, the United States hosted peace talks in Alaska to discuss a potential ceasefire.
Bibliography
AFP (27 February 2023). Kremlin, on China Plan, Says No Conditions for Peace ‘At the Moment’ in Ukraine. The Moscow Times.
Aljazeera (10 March 2022). ‘No Progress’ as top Russia, Ukraine diplomats talk in Turkey.
Center for Preventive Action (15 September 2025). War in Ukraine.
Gozzi, Laura (16 August 2025). ‘Next time in Moscow?’: Five takeaways after Trump and Putin’s Alaska summit. BBC.
Institute for the Study of War (16 January 2024). Putin calls again for overthrow of Ukraine government.
News Wires (11 June 2023). Ukraine’s Zelensky ‘not ready’ for talks with Moscow unless troops withdraw. France24.
Nichols, Michelle (23 February 2023). One year into Ukraine war, China says sending weapons will not bring peace. Reuters.
Reuters (14 September 2022). Exclusive: As war began, Putin rejected a Ukraine peace deal recommended by aide. Reuters.
Sauer, Pjotr, et al. (13 March 2025). Putin questions Ukraine ceasefire plan and sets out string of conditions. The Guardian.
Security Council Report (23 February 2025). Ukraine: Briefing and Vote on Draft Resolution.
Shamim, Sarah (15 May 2025). ‘Significant step’: Russia-Ukraine talks in Turkiye – what to expect. Aljazeera.
United Nations Meetings Coverage and Press Releases (24 February 2025). With 10 Votes in Favour, 5 Abstentions, Security Council Adopts Resolution 2774 (2025) Mourning Loss of Life, as Russian Federation’s Invasion of Ukraine Enters Fourth Year.
Wong, Tessa (1 September 2025). Putin says he reached ‘understandings’ with Trump over end of Ukraine war. BBC.
United Nations Documents:
United Nations, General Assembly (2025). Advancing a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in Ukraine. A/RES/ES-11/7.
United Nations, Security Council (2025). Resolution 2774 (2025). S/RES/2774(2025).
The Situation in the Middle East
Lebanon
In November 2024, after thirteen months of fighting, a ceasefire agreement was reached between the Lebanese militant group, Hezbollah, and the Israeli government. However, Israel has violated the ceasefire with multiple attacks on Hezbollah near the Israel-Lebanon border. The government of Lebanon has withdrawn its troops from the area south of the Litani River, which was set as a demilitarized zone in the ceasefire agreement. The demilitarization of this zone has been assisted by the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL). In June and July 2025, the government of Lebanon requested the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) extend the UNIFIL mission for one year before disbanding it, and withdrawing all peacekeepers by the end of 2026. On 28 August 2025, the UNSC passed Resolution 2790 granting the extension and setting the end date for the UNIFIL mission.
Despite very few Israeli strikes outside of southern Lebanon,on 8 September 2025 an Israeli strike in northeastern Lebanon, close to the Lebanon-Syria border, killed five people. The Israel Defense Forces’ (IDF) Arabic-language spokesperson made a statement that this attack was targeting known Hezbollah positions and infrastructure. On 11 September 2025, the IDF killed Wissam Saeed Jubai in the Tyre district in southern Lebanon. According to the IDF, Jubai was a member of Hezbollah and Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
Syria
In December 2024, the Assad regime, which ruled in Syria for 53 years, fell to a rebel offensive. A transitional government was put in place, with Ahmed al-Sharra sworn in as President in March 2025. Recently, President al-Sharra addressed the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA)—the first Syrian representative to do so in over sixty years—articulating that Syria stands with the people of Gaza, and is ready to take its place on the world stage.
Since the overthrow of the Assad regime, Israel has conducted drone strikes and other military operations against Syria. Israel has justified these military operations by claiming they do not want the weapons left by the Assad regime landing “in hands of extremists.” Talks of a peace and security agreement between these countries are underway. However, Israel’s demand for a humanitarian corridor through Syria to aid members of the Druze religious minority stalled the negotiations in late September 2025.
Bibliography
Brookings Experts (9 December 2024). Commentary The Assad regime falls. What happens now? Brookings.
Chehayeb, Kareem (9 September 2025). Israel airstrikes kill 5 in northeastern Lebanon, including 4 Hezbollah members. KGW8.
Gebeily, Maya (26 September 2025). Exclusive: Israel-Syria talks hit snag over humanitarian corridor, sources say. Reuters.
Moench, Mallory (28 August 2025). Israeli strikes kill six Syrian troops, Syria says. BBC.
Sayeh, Janatan (12 September 2025). Israel strikes IRGC in Lebanon, reports Qods Force arrests in Syria. FDD’s Long War Journal.
Syrian leader addresses United Nations General Assembly (24 September 2025). BBC.
What we know about Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire deal (27 November 2024). BBC.
United Nations Documents:
United Nations, Security Council (2025). Resolution 2790 (2025). S/RES/2790(2025).
The Situation in Ukraine
In February 2022, the Russian Federation launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine. During the subsequent three years of fighting, Russia established military control over portions of the Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions. On the third anniversary of the start of the conflict, the Security Council adopted S/RES/2774 (2025), which implored a swift end to the conflict and urged the creation of a lasting peace between the two States. The resolution represents the international community’s interest in seeing an end to the conflict but was met with a series of concerns failing to address who is the aggressor in the conflict, and how the final peace may manifest. The General Assembly adopted A/RES/ES-11/7, which called for de-escalation and an early cessation of hostilities, emphasized the need for accountability for potential war crimes, called for a complete prisoner exchange to occur along with a return of all civilians who were forcibly transferred and deported and called for an immediate cessation of attacks against critical energy infrastructure.
On 8 September 2025 the Secretary General’s Spokesman, Stéphane Dujarric, stated that the Secretary-General strongly condemns the attacks by the Russian Federation on 7 September targeting governmental institutions in Kyiv, Ukraine and continued to urge an immediate and unconditional ceasefire within Ukraine.
Throughout the conflict, a number of peace conferences have been held to try to bring an end to the conflict. The first negotiations were held in Belarus four days after the initial invasion, but yielded no progress towards potential peace. In September 2022, the Russian Federation rejected a draft peace agreement, stating that the negotiated concessions failed to fully address their concerns. In 2023, Chinese efforts at the 59th Munich Security Conference were met with appreciation from the Russian Federation, but were ultimately rejected as it failed to recognize Russian Federation’s new territorial annexations. Initial progress towards a ceasefire occurred in March 2025, with the proposal of a 30-day ceasefire. Russian Federation President Vladimir Putin rejected the proposal, claiming that Ukraine would use the respite to continue mobilizing and rearming its military rather than negotiating for peace. In May 2025, direct negotiations resumed between Ukraine and the Russian Federation in Istanbul, Türkiye. Following that, in August 2025, the United States hosted peace talks in Alaska to discuss a potential ceasefire.
Bibliography
AFP (27 February 2023). Kremlin, on China Plan, Says No Conditions for Peace ‘At the Moment’ in Ukraine. The Moscow Times.
Aljazeera (10 March 2022). ‘No Progress’ as top Russia, Ukraine diplomats talk in Turkey.
Center for Preventive Action (15 September 2025). War in Ukraine.
Gozzi, Laura (16 August 2025). ‘Next time in Moscow?’: Five takeaways after Trump and Putin’s Alaska summit. BBC.
Institute for the Study of War (16 January 2024). Putin calls again for overthrow of Ukraine government.
News Wires (11 June 2023). Ukraine’s Zelensky ‘not ready’ for talks with Moscow unless troops withdraw. France24.
Nichols, Michelle (23 February 2023). One year into Ukraine war, China says sending weapons will not bring peace. Reuters.
Reuters (14 September 2022). Exclusive: As war began, Putin rejected a Ukraine peace deal recommended by aide. Reuters.
Sauer, Pjotr, et al. (13 March 2025). Putin questions Ukraine ceasefire plan and sets out string of conditions. The Guardian.
Security Council Report (23 February 2025). Ukraine: Briefing and Vote on Draft Resolution.
Shamim, Sarah (15 May 2025). ‘Significant step’: Russia-Ukraine talks in Turkiye – what to expect. Aljazeera.
United Nations Meetings Coverage and Press Releases (24 February 2025). With 10 Votes in Favour, 5 Abstentions, Security Council Adopts Resolution 2774 (2025) Mourning Loss of Life, as Russian Federation’s Invasion of Ukraine Enters Fourth Year.
Wong, Tessa (1 September 2025). Putin says he reached ‘understandings’ with Trump over end of Ukraine war. BBC.
United Nations Documents:
United Nations, General Assembly (2025). Advancing a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in Ukraine. A/RES/ES-11/7.
United Nations, Security Council (2025). Resolution 2774 (2025). S/RES/2774(2025).