UN warns about potential major escalation in Middle East

HAMILTON, Canada

The UN expressed concern Tuesday about the possible escalation of tensions in the Middle East to a much larger scale following the attack on an Iranian diplomatic mission in the Syrian capital of Damascus.

UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said UN chief Antonio Guterres would continue his contacts regarding the incident after he spoke with Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian.

"We are very concerned about a potential major escalation beyond the escalations that we're already seeing," said Dujarric.

Dujarric also reiterated the UN chief's encouragement to all parties to "exercise the utmost restraint and avoid any further escalation."

At least 11 people, including three from Syria and a Lebanese national, were killed in Monday’s attack on the Iranian Consulate.

Among those killed were two generals of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), an elite unit of the Iranian armed forces, Brig. Gen. Mohammad Reza Zahedi and his deputy, Gen. Mohammad Hadi Haji Rahimi, along with five military advisers to the guard corps.

The Iranian mission to the UN called the Israeli airstrike a "cowardly terrorist act" and a "blatant violation of the UN Charter." It urged the UN Security Council to condemn the strike and take action.

The attack came amid Israel's months-long offensive on the Gaza Strip that has killed tens of thousands of Palestinians, with many countries fearing the conflict could escalate and spread into a regional war.