WHO chief appeals for leaders to choose negotiation, not annihilation, as Security Council meets in New York
Kehinde Adegoke | Agency Report
New York: The United Nations sounded the alarm on Saturday as Secretary‑General António Guterres condemned joint U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran and Tehran’s retaliatory attacks across Israel and the Gulf, warning that the spiralling military escalation “undermines international peace and security” and risks dragging the region into a wider war.
Reports indicate that the initial attack by Israel and the U.S. on Iran targeted military sites as well as the leadership of the Iranian regime.
In response, Iran launched a wave of drones and missiles, with explosions heard in Israel and Gulf countries.
“I condemn today’s military escalation in the Middle East”, the Secretary-General said.
“The use of force by the United States and Israel against Iran, and the subsequent retaliation by Iran across the region, undermine international peace and security.”
Guterres declared that the military escalation in the region undermined international peace and security, and recalled that all Member States must “respect their obligations under international law”.
He said the Charter of the United Nations prohibits “the threat of 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.”
The UN Chief called for an immediate cessation of hostilities and de-escalation and warned that a failure to do so risked a wider regional conflict with grave consequences for civilians and regional stability.
“I strongly encourage all parties to return immediately to the negotiating table.
“I reiterate that there is no viable alternative to the peaceful settlement of international disputes, in full accordance with international law, including the UN Charter.
“The Charter provides the foundation for the maintenance of international peace and security,” the UN scribe reiterated.
Senior UN officials added their own responses on Saturday morning, with Volker Türk, the High Commissioner for Human Rights, saying that bombs and missiles are not the way to resolve differences.
According to Türk, bombs and missiles “only result in death, destruction and human misery,” noting that civilians “end up paying the ultimate price.”
Türk called for all parties to return to negotiations in order to avoid a wider conflict that would mean further civilian deaths and “destruction on a potentially unimaginable scale, not just in Iran but across the Middle East region.”
World Health Organisation (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in a statement that he was deeply troubled by the situation and urged leaders to “choose the challenging path of dialogue over the senseless route of destruction.”
A Security Council meeting called by French President Emmanuel Macron to discuss the attacks is underway at the UN headquarters in New York.
