UN Secretary-General Urges Immediate End to Middle East Conflict, Warns US and Israel

Kathmandu. United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has issued a stern warning to the United States and Israel, urging an immediate end to the escalating conflict in the Middle East.

In a message posted on the social media platform X, Guterres stated that it is the best time for the United States and Israel to end this war, which is at risk of spiraling out of control. He noted that the conflict is negatively impacting the global economy and leading to dire consequences for less developed nations.

He also called on Iran to cease attacks on its neighbors, stating that they have never been involved in the conflict. The Security Council has condemned these attacks and ordered an immediate halt.

The Council ordered the Strait of Hormuz to be opened, emphasizing that a prolonged closure would cause great suffering for people worldwide and that the conflict has no connection to it. The Council stated that it is time for law to prevail over force and for diplomacy to triumph over this war.

Guterres' comments come in response to recent Iranian attacks targeting regional infrastructure, which have heightened tensions in the Middle East and raised concerns about global energy supplies.

French President Emmanuel Macron also stressed the need for an immediate resolution to the conflict, stating on X that a concrete peace plan must be presented to restore stability in the Middle East.

Meanwhile, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer condemned the Iranian attack on the Qatari gas facility. Global leaders have called for restraint to prevent the conflict from escalating further, avoiding widespread humanitarian and economic crises, and urged for the restoration of freedom and an immediate diplomatic and concrete peace process.