“We have a shared responsibility to work for peace,” he said.

He stressed the shared responsibility to actively engage all parties concerned to prevent further escalation, secure an immediate humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza, the unconditional release of all hostages, the unimpeded delivery of humanitarian aid, the cessation of hostilities in the occupied West Bank, de-escalation of the situation along the Blue Line, and re-establishment of safe navigation in the Red Sea. “It’s time to step back from the brink,” he asserted, citing the vital need to avoid any action that could lead to major military confrontations on multiple fronts in the Middle East and that acts of reprisal involving the use of force are barred under international law. Moreover, in relation to the 1 April attack on the Iranian consulate in Damascus, he underscored that the principle of inviolability of diplomatic and consular premises and personnel must be respected in all cases, in accordance with international law. He strongly condemned the serious escalation represented by the large-scale attack launched on Israel by Iran, noting that the UN Charter prohibits the use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any State. One damaged an Israeli military facility in the south of the country. The Secretary-General said that according to the latest reports several missiles reportedly struck within Israeli territory. In a separate letter, Iran stated that it had carried out a series of military strikes on Israeli military objectives in the exercise of Iran’s inherent right to self-defence as outlined in Article 51 of the Charter, and in response to the Israeli recurring military aggressions, particularly its armed attack on 1 April 2024 against Iranian diplomatic premises in Damascus. He said the emergency session was held upon an urgent request by Israel following what it described in a letter as a direct attack launched by Iran of over 200 unmanned aerial vehicles, cruise missiles, and ballistic missiles towards Israel in clear violation of the United Nations Charter and international law. Neither the region nor the world can afford more war,” said António Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations, stressing: “Now is the time to defuse and de-escalate.”

“Regional – and indeed global - peace and security are being undermined by the hour. A day after Iran launched hundreds of drones and missiles from its territory towards Israel - most intercepted - the people of the Middle East are confronting a real danger of a devastating full-scale conflict, the UN chief told the Security Council today during an emergency meeting, as delegates urged all parties to exercise maximum restraint.

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