JamzNG Latest News, Gist, Entertainment in Nigeria
Talking to the press outside Security Council in New York, the UN chief painted a grim picture of a rapidly deteriorating situation, as Israel and the United States continue to bomb Iran while Tehran launches attacks on its Gulf neighbors and threatens ships it considers hostile against using the vital Strait of Hormuz.
“Every day this war continues, human suffering increases. The scale of destruction is increasing. Indiscriminate attacks are increasing,” Guterres stated, noting that the targeting of civilians and civilian infrastructure, as well as the general danger to the world economy – especially the most vulnerable communities dependent on energy imports – is increasing with each passing day.
The world is at war
He emphasized that the impact of this crisis is no longer insurmountable in the region, and specifically referred to the severe disruption surrounding freedom of navigation.
“When the Strait of Hormuz is choked, the world’s poorest and most vulnerable groups can’t breathehe warned.
He noted that the consequences are already visible “in people’s daily lives struggling with rising food and energy costs from the Philippines…to Sri Lanka…to Mozambique.”
Shuttle diplomacy
To curb this increase, the Secretary General announced that he would send his Personal Envoy, Jean Arnaultto the region to assist ongoing peace initiatives.
“The spiral of death and destruction must be stopped,” he implored, and urged that diplomatic efforts be given the space and support to succeed.
Mr Guterres emphasized that point any resolution must be firmly rooted in international law and UN Charter.
He called for the dispute to be resolved peacefully, respecting the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all member states, and protecting civilians and threatened nuclear installations in Iran and other countries as the war spreads.
Message to the US, Israel and Iran
Speaking directly to the combatants, the Secretary General stated: “To the United States and Israel, now is the right time to stop the war that has caused great suffering to humanity and has triggered a very bad economic impact.”
Iran, he continued, must stop attacking its neighboring countries.
Reaffirming that the Security Council has condemned these attacks and reaffirmed the need to respect navigation rights on important maritime routes, The UN Secretary General reminded world leaders that the power to end this crisis is in their hands.
“Conflicts do not end by themselves,” Guterres concluded. “This ended when leaders chose dialogue over destruction. That choice is still there. And it must be done – now.”
Security Council: Gulf states condemn Iran’s attack
The Middle East is “on a dangerous precipice,” Assistant Secretary-General Khaled Khiari told the Security Council, which met on Thursday morning to discuss increasing cooperation between the UN and Arab states in the Gulf.
He condemned the US and Israeli attacks on Iran and cited demands – outlined last month Council Resolution 2817 (2026) – to immediately end all attacks by Tehran against Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Jordan.
Secretary General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), Jassim Albudaiwi, told ambassadors that Iran had targeted critical civilian infrastructure, including airports, oil facilities, residential and commercial areas, fuel depots, service facilities and diplomatic missions.
“The GCC strongly condemns this blatant Iranian attack, which constitutes a flagrant violation of the sovereignty of the GCC countries”, as well as the principles of good neighborly relations, international law and UN Charterhe emphasized.
“The GCC countries do not want war,” he stressed. “They seek the peace, security and stability that everyone deserves.”
Follow our in-depth speaker-by-speaker coverage Meeting Coverage website here.
Syria needs to be in the spotlight
Meanwhile, the needs in Syria remain enormous, especially following the return of around 180,000 of its citizens since the Middle East war began, along with 25,000 Lebanese.
Highlighting the needs in Damascus and surrounding areas, the UN’s top aid official, Tom Fletcher, said that both Lebanese and Syrian families had been affected. fleeing “without taking anything”.
He also emphasized that Syrians “are rebuilding… reopening markets, restoring services.”
Fletcher said that the UN humanitarian team was always ready and continuing to adapt to help the many people whose lives had been upended by the violence.
Ahead of Syria, Fletcher spent two days witnessing the devastating impact of the conflict Lebanonwhere more than a million people were forced to flee in a matter of weeks, amid ongoing Israeli and Hezbollah clashes, leaving “lives upended” and critical infrastructure “destroyed”.
