Mr. Guterres stated that the military escalation in the region is undermining international peace and security, and recalled that all Member States “must respect their obligations under international law, including the Charter of the United Nations,” which “prohibits the threat of use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any State, or in any other manner inconsistent with the purposes of the United Nations.”
The UN chief called for an immediate cessation of hostilities and de-escalation, warning that failure to do so risks a wider regional conflict with serious consequences for civilians and regional stability.
Risk of ‘destruction on an unimaginable scale’
Senior officials added their own answers on Saturday morning: Volker Türk, the High Commissioner for Human Rights, said bombs and missiles are not the way to resolve differences but “only result in death, destruction and human misery.” Citizens, he noted, “ultimately pay the ultimate price.”
Mr Türk called on all sides to return to negotiations to avoid a wider conflict that would mean further civilian deaths and “destruction on a potentially unimaginable scale, not just in Iran but across the Middle East.”
World Health Organisation (WHODirector General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in a statement that he was deeply troubled by the situation and urged leaders to “choose the challenging path of dialogue over the senseless route of destruction.”
Emergency meeting of the Security Council planned
A Security Council French President Emmanuel Macron has called a meeting to discuss the attacks. The meeting is scheduled for 4:00 PM Eastern Time.
Follow the meeting live on UN News.
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