Middle East at Risk of Devastating Full-Scale Conflict: UN Chief | Security Council

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Published Jun 22, 2024

Briefing by António Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations, on the danger of escalation in the Middle East during the 9602nd meeting of the Security Council.

The people of the Middle East are facing a “real danger of a devastating full-scale conflict,” António Guterres said today (14 Apr), urging “maximum restraint” across a region “on the brink”, hours after Iran launched attack drones and missiles against Israel overnight Saturday.

The Secretary-General told delegates at the opening of an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council that “now is the time to defuse and de-escalate.”

Guterres said, “the Charter of the United Nations prohibits the 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. Furthermore, the principle of inviolability of diplomatic and consular premises and personnel must be respected in all cases in accordance with international law, as I stated when condemning the 1 April attack on the Iranian consulate in Damascus.”

According to the latest reports, Iran launched hundreds of drones and missiles from its territory toward Israel, with most intercepted. Several missiles reportedly struck within Israeli territory, one of which damaged an Israeli military facility in the south of the country.

The Secretary-General stressed that it was “vital to avoid any action that could lead to major military confrontations on multiple fronts in the Middle East.”

Civilians, he said, “are already bearing the brunt and paying the highest price. And we have a shared responsibility to actively engage all parties concerned to prevent further escalation.”