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 about the situation in the Middle East to reporters at the UN headquarters in New York.
He said that he is in close contact “with many representatives of this region and the whole 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 emphasized.
“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. A prolonged closure of the strait will paralyze supplies of oil, gas and fertilizers at a critical time when the global planting season has begun, he said.
The consequences 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 disaster. The solution is diplomacy. The way out is in full compliance with international law. The way out is in peace,” he concluded.