'Conflict arises from ignorance.' Melania Trump chairs UNSC meeting

Kinsey Crowley, USA TODAY Tue, March 3, 2026 at 7:43 PM UTC

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'Conflict arises from ignorance.' Melania Trump chairs UNSC meeting

First lady Melania Trump presided over the United Nations Security Council meeting on March 2.

It was the first time a sitting first lady has sat in for the Security Council presidency and taken the gavel. President Donald Trump has often criticized the United Nations for not doing enough to resolve conflicts around the world.

His wife's appearance comes as a war in the Middle East is escalating following U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran on Feb. 28 that killed top Iranian officials. Iran's counterstrikes have killed at least six U.S. servicemembers.

Here is what Melania Trump said in her remarks to the UN Security Council.

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1 / 0Melania Trump presides over UN Security Council as US attacks IranFirst lady Melania Trump, followed by U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz, arrives to preside over a United Nations Security Council meeting, at U.N. headquarters in New York City, March 2, 2026.Melania Trump mentions soldiers killed in UN remarks

While Melania Trump did not address the war in Iran explicitly, she opened by offering condolences to the "families who have lost their heroes," and a swift recovery to those who have been injured.

Her speech focused on the meeting's purpose: Children, technology and education in conflict. She also talked about artificial intelligence potential to broaden access; she has championed the technology since her husband returned to office. Education, she says, could help bring more peaceful times.

"Peace does not need to be fragile. Enduring peace will be achieved when knowledge and understanding are fully valued within all societies," she said. "Conflict arises from ignorance, but knowledge creates understanding, replacing fear with peace and unity."

Melania Trump's talks peace amid Iran war

The White House had announced Melania Trump would preside over the meeting on Feb. 25, before the attacks on Iran.

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Iran's U.N. envoy Amir Saeid Iravani called the U.S. overseeing the meeting about protecting children in war "deeply shameful and hypocritical," according to Reuters, saying it was "at the same time launching missile strikes against Iranian cities and bombing schools and killing children."

A missile strike on Shajareh Tayyebeh all-girls’ elementary school in Iran killed at least 175 people on Saturday. It is considered one of the biggest civilian casualty attacks in the war so far. Iranian news agency IRNA and Iranian officials have said the majority of victims were children, including dozens of girls ages 7 to 12.

The Trump administration has neither ruled out nor admitted responsibility for the attack.

"The United States will not deliberately target a school," Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on March 2, according to Reuters.

Under Secretary General Rosemary A. DiCarlo addressed the reports at the meeting.

"Our reality is clear. When conflicts erupt, children are among those most severely affected," she said. "We have been reminded of this truth over the last two days. Schools in Israel, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain, and Oman, have closed and moved to remote learning owing to the ongoing military operations in the region."

She also said she had heard of reports of the Iranian school strike and the US was looking into it.

Contributing: Josh Meyer, USA TODAY

Kinsey Crowley is the Trump Connect reporter for the USA TODAY Network. Reach her at KCrowley@usatodayco.com. Follow her on X (Twitter), Bluesky and TikTok.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Melania Trump presides over UN Security Council. What did she say?

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