He Secretary General of the United NationsAntónio Guterres warned the international community about a possible deepening of the conflict in the Middle East, addressing the Security Council during a meeting on the stroke of the weekend of Iran against Israel.
In the words of the UN Secretary General, “Neither the region nor the world can afford more wars“, because “the Middle East is on the brink of the abyss.”
“The people of the region face a real danger of conflict widespread and devastating. This is a time for de-escalation and de-escalation. “It is time to show maximum restraint,” he insisted to the parties.
What happened between Iran and Israel?
In the last hours of Saturday, Iran launched for the first time a direct attack against its sworn enemy Israel, firing more than 300 missiles and drones. Almost all were intercepted by Israel and other countries, such as the United States, Jordan and Great Britain; Despite this, 12 people were injured, according to the Israeli army.
Iran assured that his attack came in response to a deadly air offensive April 1 against the Tehran consulate in Damascus, the Syrian capital, attributed to Israel. Said attack killed seven members of the Revolutionary Guard, including two senior officers, and sparked threats of retaliation from Iran. Tehran accused Israel of this fact, which neither confirmed nor denied it.
The unprecedented exchange between the two countries has renewed fears of a broader conflict, including a potential Israeli counterattack.
The United States will not join any retaliation against Iran
USA said on Sunday that will not join any retaliation against Iranwhile President Joe Biden warned Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to “think carefully” about any escalation.
At the Security Council meeting, the latent crisis was discussed at the request of Israel and its ambassador, Gilad Erdan, urged to that body to “act” and demanded that impose all sanctions possible to Iran before it’s too late“.
The Iranian ambassador to the UN, Amir Saeid Iravani, argued that Iran “He had no choice but to exercise his right to self defense“.
Guterres also called again during the emergency meeting for an “immediate ceasefire” in Gaza and the release of the hostages taken by Hamas during its attack on Israel on October 7.
He reiterated his condemnation of Iran’s attacks on Israel and the Israeli attack on the Iranian consulate in Damascus.
It’s time to step away from the abyss. It is vital to avoid any action that could lead to major military clashes on multiple fronts in the Middle East
António Guterres, Secretary General of the UN.
The Iranian attack came more than six months after the start of the Israeli-led offensive in the Gaza Strip against the Iranian-backed Palestinian group Hamas, which further raised tensions between the two enemy countries.
He stroke of Hamas in Israel October 7th caused the death of one thousand 170 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP count based on Israeli figures.
Israel’s retaliation has killed at least 33,729 people in Gaza, mostly women and children, according to the territory’s Hamas-run Health Ministry.