The United Nations has called on Iran and Israel to show restraint, with the threat of a full-scale direct conflict between the pair looming over the Middle East.
Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned the adversaries at an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council on Sunday not to further escalate tension in the region with further attacks, following mutual air attacks over the past two weeks. However, Iran and Israel concentrated on accusing one another of being a threat to peace.
“Neither the region nor the world can afford more war,” Guterres told the meeting. “Now is the time to defuse and de-escalate.
“It’s time to step back from the brink,” he declared.
Iran launched hundreds of drones and missiles at Israel late on Saturday. The war in Gaza has triggered regular clashes between Iran’s regional allies – such as Hezbollah, Hamas, and the Houthis – and Israel. The direct attack, a retaliation to a strike – still unclaimed by Israel – on Iran’s embassy compound in Syria on April 1, marked a serious escalation.
At the meeting, Robert Wood, the deputy US ambassador to the UN, called on the 15-member body to unequivocally condemn Iran’s attack. He insisted that the UNSC has an obligation to not let Iran’s actions go unanswered and that the United States will explore additional measures in the coming days to hold Iran accountable.
“Let me be clear: if Iran or its proxies take actions against the United States or further action against Israel, Iran will be held responsible,” he said.