“Every day that this war continues, human suffering grows. The scale of the devastation grows. Indiscriminate attacks increase” Guterres stated, noting that attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure, as well as general dangers to the global economy – especially the most vulnerable societies that depend on energy imports – increase daily.
Danger of a world at war
He emphasized that the impacts of the crisis are no longer contained within the region, specifically pointing out the serious disruptions surrounding freedom of navigation.
“When the Strait of Hormuz is strangled, the poorest and most vulnerable in the world I can’t breathe”, he warned.
He noted that the consequences are already visible “in people’s daily lives.” fighting rising food and energy costs from the Philippines… to Sri Lanka… to Mozambique.”
shuttle diplomacy
To stem this trajectory of escalation, the Secretary-General announced that he will send his Personal Envoy, Jean Arnault, to the region to assist in ongoing peace efforts.
“The spiral of death and destruction must stop,” he implored, urging that diplomatic efforts be given the space and support necessary to succeed.
Mr. Guterres stressed that Any resolution must be firmly anchored in international law and the Charter of the United Nations..
He called for disputes to be resolved peacefully, for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all member states to be respected, and for civilians and threatened nuclear facilities in Iran and elsewhere to be protected as the war metastasizes.
Message to the US, Israel and Iran
Addressing the combatants directly, the Secretary General declared: “To the United States and Israel, It is time to end the war that is causing immense human suffering and already causing devastating economic consequences.“.
Iran, he continued, must stop attacking its neighbors.
Reiterating that the Security Council has already condemned these attacks and reaffirmed the need to respect navigation rights on critical maritime routes, The UN chief reminded world leaders that the power to end the crisis is in their hands..
“Conflicts do not end on their own,” Guterres concluded. “They end when leaders choose dialogue over destruction. That choice still exists. And it must be made…now.”
Security Council: Gulf States condemn Iranian attacks
The Middle East stands “on a dangerous precipice,” Under Secretary-General Khaled Khiari told the Security Council, which met Thursday morning to discuss boosting cooperation between the UN and Arab states in the Gulf.
He condemned the US and Israeli attacks on Iran and cited the demand – outlined in last month’s Council resolution 2817 (2026) – for an immediate end to all attacks by Tehran against Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Jordan.
Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Secretary-General Jassim Albudaiwi told ambassadors that Iran had attacked vital civilian infrastructure, including airports, oil facilities, residential and commercial areas, fuel depots, service facilities and diplomatic missions.
“The GCC strongly condemns these blatant Iranian attacks, which constitute a flagrant violation of the sovereignty of the GCC States,” as well as the principle of good neighborly relations, international law and the UN Charter, he stressed.
“The GCC states do not seek war,” he insisted. “They seek the peace, security and stability that all people deserve.”
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Syria’s needs in focus
Meanwhile, the needs in Syria remain immense, particularly following the return of some 180,000 citizens since the war broke out in the Middle East, along with 25,000 Lebanese.
Highlighting the needs in Damascus and beyond, top UN aid official Tom Fletcher said both Lebanese and Syrian families have been fleeing “practically with nothing”.
He also insisted that Syrians “are rebuilding…reopening markets, restoring services.”
Fletcher said UN humanitarian teams were available and constantly adapting to help the many people whose lives had been uprooted by violence.
Before Syria, Mr. Fletcher spent two days witnessing the devastating effects of the conflict in Lebanonwhere more than a million people have been displaced in a matter of weeks, amid ongoing clashes between Israel and Hezbollah, leaving “lives disrupted” and critical infrastructure “shattered.”