UNITED NATIONS:UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres has said he strongly opposes any further military intervention in the conflict between Israel and Iran, as he advocated a diplomatic solution.
“Any additional military interventions could have enormous consequences, not only for those involved but for the whole region and for international peace and security at large,” the UN chief warned.
“I strongly appeal to all to avoid any further internationalization of the conflict,” Guterres said in a statement on Wednesday.
When asked to explain the word “internationalization,” the Secretary-General’s Spokesperson, Stephane Dujarric, said it meant “having more countries involved in the fighting,” without naming any specific nation.
US President Donald Trump said Wednesday he was considering whether Washington would join Israeli strikes on Iran, now in their sixth day.
The UN chief further said he remains “profoundly alarmed” by the ongoing military escalation between Israel and Iran, as the sides continued to trade airstrikes.
“I reiterate my call for immediate de-escalation leading to a ceasefire,” Guterres said in the statement, in which he strongly appealed against any further internationalisation of the conflict.
He condemned “the tragic and unnecessary loss of lives and injuries to civilians and damage to homes and critical civilian infrastructure.”
The crisis erupted on Friday when Israel began targeting nuclear and military sites across Iran, prompting Tehran to launch retaliatory strikes on Israeli cities.
Since then, more than 250 people have been killed across both countries, according to media reports.
As the crisis in the Middle East deepens, the Secretary-General stressed that “diplomacy remains the best and only way to address concerns regarding Iran’s nuclear programme and regional security issues.”
He underlined that “the UN Charter remains our shared framework to save people from the scourge of war,” urging all Member States to fully comply with the document and international law, including international humanitarian law.
