UN Secretary-General António Guterres warned on Saturday that military intervention in the Middle East could have uncontrollable consequences for the region after the US and Israeli attacks on Iran and Tehran’s retaliatory attacks. TASR informs about it according to the report of the AFP agency.
- Guterres warned of the uncontrolled consequences of military interventions in the Middle East.
- He declared the need to prevent further escalation of the conflict.
- He condemned Iran’s retaliatory attacks as a violation of the sovereignty of several states.
- Israel and the US say they acted to avert an imminent threat.
“Military action carries the risk of triggering a chain of events that no one can control, in the most volatile region of the world,” Guterres told an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council in New York on Saturday after the US and Israel jointly attacked targets in Iran in the morning.
Guterres added that everything must be done to prevent further escalation. “The alternative,” he warned, “is a potential wider conflict with serious consequences for civilians and regional stability.”
He also condemned the retaliatory attacks
The UN Secretary General also condemned Iran’s retaliatory attacks, calling them a violation of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Bahrain, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, writes the AP agency.
Speaking to reporters ahead of the emergency session, Israel’s UN ambassador Danny Danon said the condemnation of the airstrikes was “hypocrisy.” He added that Iran was responsible for the actions of its representatives in the Middle East and for its nuclear and missile programs, and that Israel and the US had acted “to prevent an irreversible and imminent threat”.
In a letter to the UN Secretary General, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi accused the United States and Israel of “flagrant” violations of Iran’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and the UN Charter. He added that Iran was exercising its right to self-defense under the Charter in response.
He also urged council members to “take the necessary and immediate measures to stop this unlawful use of force and to ensure accountability.” He called for unequivocal condemnation of “this act of aggression… because it undoubtedly poses an unprecedented threat to regional as well as global peace and security.” Five council members – Bahrain, France, Russia, China and Colombia – requested an extraordinary session.
