UN Chief Warns Middle East Conflict Nears ‘Wider War,’ Urges Immediate Halt to Attacks
“We are on the edge of a wider war that would engulf the Middle East with dramatic impacts around the globe,” Guterres told reporters at the United Nations headquarters in New York.
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) — Antonio Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations, on Thursday warned that the escalating conflict in the Middle East risks spiraling into a broader regional war, urging an immediate halt to ongoing military operations by both sides.
“We are on the edge of a wider war that would engulf the Middle East with dramatic impacts around the globe,” Guterres told reporters at the United Nations headquarters in New York.
The UN chief called for an immediate cessation of joint U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran, as well as Iranian retaliatory attacks targeting neighboring countries, stressing the urgent need for de-escalation.
As of Thursday, the United States and Israel remain engaged in a high-intensity conflict with Iran that began on Feb. 28. The confrontation has been marked by sustained aerial bombardments targeting Iranian leadership figures, nuclear facilities, and key industrial infrastructure.
In response, Iran has launched waves of missile and drone attacks across the region, targeting U.S. military installations and Israeli-linked sites, raising fears of a broader regional spillover.
On the first day of the war, joint U.S.-Israeli strikes killed Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, in Tehran. Several senior officials were also killed, including top commanders of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and the country’s intelligence leadership.
Following the strikes, Mojtaba Khamenei was named as successor on March 8, amid ongoing instability and heightened tensions.