UN chief declares ‘the Middle East is on the brink’ after Iran’s missile attack on Israel and warns those in the region face ‘real danger of a devastating, full-scale conflict’

The head of the United Nations, Antonio Guterres, has declared that the Middle East is “on the brink” and that those living in the region are “in real danger of a devastating full-scale conflict.”

Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said at the emergency meeting convened after Iran’s attack: “Regional – and even global – peace and security are being undermined by the hour. Neither the region nor the world can afford any more war.”

Guterres said reprisals using force are prohibited under international law after Iran’s attack on Israel, while the US warned the Security Council it would work to hold Tehran accountable at the UN.

The Iranian ambassador stressed that the attack was “a response to the Israeli regime’s military aggression,” highlighting the April 1 attack on an Iranian embassy building in Damascus, which killed seven IRGC officers.

Amir Saeid Iravani said Iranian forces launched last night’s attacks in “self-defense” and that they were “necessary and proportionate, precise and concerned only military objectives.”

Israel’s ambassador to the UN, Gilad Erdan, requested on Saturday that the council hold the meeting. He held up a video of rockets raining down over Jerusalem’s Al Aqsa Mosque as he emphasized the scale of the attack during his speech.

Iranian Ambassador to the United Nations Amir Saeid Iranavani attends a meeting on the situation in the Middle East

Israeli Ambassador to the UN Gilad Erdan shows a video during a meeting of the United Nations Security Council on the situation in the Middle East

“This attack crossed every red line and Israel reserves the right to retaliate,” Erdan said. ‘We are not a frog in boiling water, we are a nation of lions.

“After such a massive and direct attack on Israel, the entire world, let alone Israel, cannot settle for inaction. We will defend our future.”

He called for more sanctions against Iran and for the country to be recognized as a terrorist state. He said: “For the sake of the world, Iran must be stopped today.”

He highlighted the success of Israel’s Iron Dome and allied efforts to stop the 350 missiles he said had been launched by Iran at Israel, with the joint response helping to reduce “99 percent.”

“The Iranian attack is a serious threat to global peace and security and I expect that the Council will use all means to take concrete action against Iran,” Erdan wrote in a post on X ahead of the meeting.

Secretary-General Antonio Guterres reminded the council tonight that reprisals involving the use of force are prohibited under international law, adding that now is “the moment to defuse and de-escalate,” as he warned against further escalation.

Drones or missiles battle for targets at secret locations in northern Israel on April 14

He also called for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza after more than six months of fighting, the unconditional release of all hostages and the unhindered delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza as it faces famine.

Meanwhile, the US warned the Security Council that it would work to hold Tehran accountable at the UN.

Deputy US Ambassador to the UN Robert Wood called on the 15-member body to unequivocally condemn Iran’s attack, saying the Security Council has a duty not to let Iran’s actions go unanswered.

“In the coming days, the United States, in consultation with other Member States, will explore additional measures to hold Iran accountable here at the United Nations,” he said, without specifying what action the U.S. would take.

A G7 meeting took place this afternoon where leaders condemned the Iranian airstrike on Israel ‘in the strongest terms’.

“Let me be clear: If Iran or its allies take action against the United States or take further action against Israel, Iran will be held responsible,” he said, adding that the US took note of Guterres’ comments and that the Washington’s actions have been defensive. .

Tehran, which had vowed retaliation for what it called an Israeli attack on a building next to the consulate in Damascus on April 1 that killed seven of its officers, said the attack was punishment for “Israeli crimes.”

Israel has neither confirmed nor denied responsibility for the attack on the consulate.