SRINAGAR: António Guterres has condemned the United States–Israeli airstrikes on Iran and called for an immediate return to negotiations, warning that the region risks sliding into a wider war with grave consequences.
Addressing an emergency session of the United Nations Security Council, the Secretary-General said the strikes violated international law, including the United Nations Charter. He also denounced Iran’s retaliatory attacks, stating they breached the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Bahrain, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
Guterres urged all parties to prevent further escalation, cautioning that failure to do so could trigger a broader conflict affecting civilians and regional stability.
The United States Ambassador to the UN, Mike Waltz, told the Council the military action was lawful and reiterated that Iran must not obtain nuclear weapons, describing the issue as one of global security rather than politics.
Israel’s UN Ambassador, Danny Danon, defended the strikes as necessary to counter what he termed an existential threat, saying Israel was acting to prevent extremism from escalating further.
Iran’s Ambassador to the UN, Amir Saeid Iravani, said the strikes had killed and injured hundreds of civilians, describing them as a war crime and a crime against humanity. He urged the Security Council to act, criticising what he called inaction despite Tehran’s warnings over recent weeks.
