International Intervention and Conflict Management: A Critical Assessments of the UN’s Role in the Israel-Iran Rivalry

Ehuiken-Ayetin Promise Godday

doi:10.56201/jpslr.vol.12.no1.2026.pg28.46

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International Intervention and Conflict Management: A Critical Assessments of the UN’s Role in the Israel-Iran Rivalry

Ehuiken-Ayetin Promise Godday

Abstract

The Israel–Iran rivalry is one of the most protracted and destabilizing conflicts in the Middle East, shaped by ideological hostility, nuclear ambitions, and competing regional agendas. Its persistence has heightened concerns over nuclear proliferation and regional security, making it a critical test of international conflict management. The study explores the nature and scope of UN interventions in the Israel–Iran rivalry; and assess their effectiveness and limitations. Applying a qualitative design, the study relies on secondary data from UN resolutions, official reports, scholarly literature, and policy documents. Data are analyzed using descriptive and analytical methods, while conflict management theory and realism provide the theoretical lens. Conflict management theory highlights negotiation and mediation mechanisms, whereas realism underscores the influence of state sovereignty, great power politics, and national interests on UN decision-making. The Findings indicate that the UN has contributed by raising global awareness, enforcing selective sanctions, and facilitating limited dialogue, particularly around nuclear issues. However, its interventions are constrained by Security Council veto politics, selective implementation of resolutions, and the unwillingness of Israel and Iran to compromise. These challenges have prevented the UN from achieving significant de-escalation or durable peace. The study recommends among other things reforms that enhance the independence of the UN, broaden cooperation with regional organizations, and reduce the dominance of veto powers in Security Council decisions. Its significance lies in exposing both the promise and limitations of UN conflict management, while its contribution to knowledge is a focused appraisal of the UN’s role in the Israel–Iran rivalry a subject less studied compared to the Israel–Palestine conflict.

Keywords

Israel-Iran rivalryUnited NationsConflict ManagementSecurity CouncilNuclear Proliferation; Multilateral diplomacy

References

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International Intervention and Conflict Management: A Critical Assessments of the UN’s Role in the Israel-Iran Rivalry

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