Secretary-General Antonio Guterres speaks to reporters at UN headquarters in New York. Middle East: UN chief calls for diplomatic talks to begin Peace and Security
“This war is out of control.” Secretary-General Antonio Guterres made this statement on the situation in the Middle East to reporters at the UN headquarters in New York.
He said he is in close contact “with many people from this region and around the world.”
“A number of initiatives aimed at dialogue and peace are currently being implemented. They must succeed. I have just appointed Jean Arnault as my personal envoy to lead the UN efforts to resolve the conflict and its consequences,” Guterres said.
The time has come to stop the escalation and begin diplomatic negotiations, he stressed.
“My message to the United States and Israel is that the time has come to end the war. My message to Iran is to stop attacking your neighbors,” the UN chief said.
Guterres also called for respect for the principle of freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz. The prolonged closure of the strait will paralyze oil, gas and fertilizer supplies at a critical time as the global planting season begins, he noted.
The effects of the crisis are being felt by civilians in the region and beyond.
“I saw some of these consequences first-hand during my recent visit to Lebanon. And the war must stop there too. Hezbollah must stop attacking Israel. And Israel must stop its military operations and attacks on Lebanon, from which civilians suffer the most,” the Secretary General said.
The UN is making every effort to minimize the consequences of the war, Guterres noted, but humanitarian operations are now difficult.
“We need a way out of this catastrophe. The solution is diplomacy. The way out is in full compliance with international law. The way out is in peace,” he concluded.