UN chief urges US, Israel to end Iran war that could 'get completely out of control'

BRUSSELS

UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres on Thursday called on the US and Israel to end the ongoing war against Iran, warning it could spiral "completely out of control" and lead to widespread civilian suffering.

Speaking alongside European Council President Antonio Costa at an EU leaders' summit in Brussels, Guterres delivered what he described as "two clear messages" to key actors in the conflict.

"First, to the United States and to Israel, it's high time to end this war that is risking to get completely out of control, causing immense suffering on civilians," he said.

The UN chief also warned of broader global consequences, saying the conflict is having "dramatic" ripple effects on the global economy, with potentially "tragic consequences, especially for the least developed countries."

Guterres issued a second message directed at Iran, urging it to halt attacks on neighboring countries.

"Stop attacking your neighbors. They were never parties to the conflict," he said, noting that the UN Security Council has condemned such actions and called for them to cease.

He also stressed the importance of keeping vital global trade routes open, warning that any prolonged disruption to the Strait of Hormuz would inflict "enormous pain" on people worldwide.

"It's time for the force of the law to prevail over the law of the force. It's time for diplomacy to prevail over war," Guterres stressed.

Costa, for his part, said that although "many international actors are challenging the international order," there is "no alternative" to multilateralism in addressing global crises.

"Because the alternative is chaos, the alternative is the war in Ukraine, the alternative is the war in the Middle East, the alternative is the dramatic humanitarian situation in Gaza, the alternative is war in several countries in Africa," he said.