The United States took over the UN Security Council’s rotating presidency for March on Monday, and First Lady Melania Trump marked the handover by chairing a council meeting on children caught in conflict – a rare, high-profile role as the US-Israeli war with Iran continued to rage.
She entered the chamber to a round of formal greetings from the Security Council’s 15 members, including Russia and China. She struck the ceremonial gavel, thanked Britain for its presidency, and spoke about protecting children and the role of education in peace.
“To the families who have lost their heroes who sacrifice their lives for freedom, their bravery and dedication will always be remembered,” she said, in remarks that appeared to honor US service members killed in the war.
“Enduring peace will be achieved when knowledge and understanding are fully valued within all our societies.”
The timing drew immediate condemnation from Tehran. Iran’s ambassador to the United Nations, Amir Saeid Iravani, told reporters before the meeting that it was “deeply shameful and hypocritical” for the United States – on the first day of its Security Council presidency – to convene a high-level session on protecting children as war expanded across the Middle East.
Despite the tension, the First Lady was warmly received inside the council.
Greece’s ambassador, Aglaia Balta, addressed her as “Madam President,” while France’s envoy compared her to Eleanor Roosevelt, the former US first lady and UN-era activist often cited as a model of humanitarian diplomacy, according to AFP. Even Russia joined the chorus of formal pleasantries, avoiding mention of Iran in its public remarks.
The First Lady closed the roughly two-hour meeting with a broad appeal for cooperation.
“I wish you all strength and resolve to succeed in preserving peace and security throughout the world,” she said.
UN Secretary-General spokesperson Stephane Dujarric confirmed the appearance was the first time a first lady – or first gentleman – had presided over a Security Council meeting.
It is not the first time US President Donald Trump’s wife has used her platform to champion children affected by war. Last year, she focused on Ukrainian children displaced by Russia’s invasion, and her office has described a series of reunification efforts carried out through quiet coordination and back-channel contacts with Russian and Ukrainian officials to identify children, verify their circumstances and arrange returns.
Her office has also pointed to more complicated cases involving young people who were minors when displaced but reached adulthood while in Russia, saying it pressed for safe passage and documentation solutions so they could travel back to their families.
Her high-profile appearance came amid growing political and financial strain between Washington and the United Nations.
Many diplomats and observers say Trump has signaled an intention to bypass the Security Council through a new “Board of Peace,” which held an inaugural meeting in Washington in February and drew pledges of funds and personnel tied to rebuilding Gaza. Yet Washington has also moved quickly to weave the UN into its messaging about the initiative, seeking to present it as complementary – rather than a replacement.
Since returning to the White House last year, Trump has withdrawn support from several major UN agencies, including the World Health Organization (WHO). Washington recently paid $160 million into the UN’s regular budget after paying nothing in 2025, but the United States remains billions of dollars in arrears across the regular and peacekeeping budgets, as UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has warned of severe financial stress.