“Two days ago, in this very chamber, I made a direct appeal: give peace a chance. That call was not heeded,” he said at a United Nations Security Council emergency meeting on Sunday.
“Instead, the bombing of Iranian nuclear facilities by the United States marks a perilous turn in a region that is already reeling.”
Guterres noted he has “repeatedly condemned any military escalation in the Middle East,” adding that “the people of the region cannot endure another cycle of destruction. And yet, we now risk descending into a rat hole of retaliation after retaliation.”
“Diplomacy must prevail. Civilians must be protected. Safe maritime navigation must be guaranteed,” the UN chief continued, calling for a halt to fighting and a return to “serious, sustained negotiations on the Iran nuclear program.”
Guterres also asked Iran to trust the UN’s Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.
“We face a stark choice. One path leads to wider war, deeper human suffering and serious damage to the international order; the other leads to de-escalation, diplomacy and dialogue. We know which path is right. And I urge this council and all member states to act with reason, restraint and urgency. We cannot and must not give up on peace,” he concluded.
President Donald Trump on Sunday announced that United States forces attacked three Iranian nuclear sites in a “very successful attack”, though a full impact assessment is ongoing.
Iran has strongly condemned the US onslaught against the nuclear facilities, vowing to respond in ways beyond the calculations of Washington.