NEW YORK: United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres said that the people of the Middle East are facing a real danger of a devastating full-scale conflict, urging ‘maximum restraint’ across a region ‘on the brink’.
Speaking at an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council yesterday evening, with representatives from Israel, Iran, and Syria present, to address recent developments between Iran and Israel, Guterres underscored the imperative to de-escalate tensions, exercise utmost restraint, and step back from the brink of conflict.
The Secretary-General reiterated to all United Nations members the principles enshrined in the United Nations Charter, which strictly forbid the use of force against regional stability or the political sovereignty of any nation.
Furthermore, he highlighted the importance of upholding the sanctity of diplomatic and consular premises, along with their personnel, in accordance with international law under all circumstances.
‘It is vital to avoid any action that could lead
to major military confrontations on multiple fronts in the Middle East…Now is the time for maximum restraint,’ the UN Secretary-General told delegates at the opening of the UN Security Council meeting.
Recalling the international community’s shared responsibility to engage all parties to prevent further escalation, the Secretary-General added that there was a similar responsibility to secure an immediate humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza, the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages, and the unimpeded delivery of humanitarian aid.
He added that there was a further shared responsibility to stop violence in the occupied West Bank, de-escalate the situation along the Blue Line, and re-establish safe navigation in the Red Sea.
‘We have a shared responsibility to work for peace. Regional – and indeed global — peace and security are being undermined by the hour. Neither the region nor the world can afford more war,’ Guterres concluded.
Source: Emirates News Agency