‘We cannot – and must not – give up on peace’: UN chief Guterres urges de-escalation after US strikes on Iran

NEW YORK: United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres made an impassioned plea for peace during an emergency special session of the Security Council at UN Headquarters in New York on Sunday (local time), urging immediate action to de-escalate the crisis in Iran following the US’s recent military strikes on the Islamic Republic’s nuclear facilities.

“We cannot – and must not – give up on peace,” Guterres said, calling for urgent efforts to prevent dangers of retaliation and deeper conflict in the region.

Addressing the session under the agenda item “threats to international peace and security”, Guterres warned that the US’s attack on Iran was a “perilous turn” to the deteriorating situation in the region.

“Two days ago, in this very chamber, I made a direct appeal: Give peace a chance. That call was not heeded. Instead, the bombing of Iranian nuclear facilities by the United States marks a perilous turn in a region that is already reeling,” he noted.

He condemned the military escalation, emphasising the dire consequences of a potential cycle of retaliation, and stressed the need to protect civilians and ensure safe maritime navigation.

The UN chief called for a return to diplomacy, advocating for a “credible, comprehensive, and verifiable solution” to the Iran nuclear program, including full access for International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) inspectors.

“From the outset of the crisis, I have repeatedly condemned any military escalation in the Middle East. The people of the region cannot endure another cycle of destruction. And yet, we now risk descending into a rathole of retaliation after retaliation. To avoid it, diplomacy must prevail.

Civilians must be protected. Safe maritime navigation must be guaranteed. We must act – immediately and decisively – to halt the fighting and return to serious, sustained negotiations on the Iran nuclear programme. We need a credible, comprehensive and verifiable solution – one that restores trust – including with full access to inspectors of the IAEA, as the United Nations technical authority in this field,” the General Secretary noted.

Reaffirming the UN’s readiness to support peaceful resolutions, Guterres stated, “The Non-Proliferation Treaty is a cornerstone of international peace and security. Iran must fully respect it. And all Member States must act in accordance with their obligations under the UN Charter and other rules of international law.”

Highlighting the stark choice ahead, he cautioned, “One path leads to wider war, deeper human suffering, and serious damage to the international order. The other leads to de-escalation, diplomacy, and dialogue.”

Urging the Council and all Member States to act with “reason, restraint, and urgency”, Guterres concluded, “We know which path is right. We cannot – and must not – give up on peace.”

The session came following the US’s “massive precision” strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities on Saturday (local time), targeting three of Iran’s key nuclear facilities, including Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan.

US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth confirmed the success of the operation launched by the US in Iran on Sunday.

In a media briefing with Chairperson of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Air Force General Dan Caine, Hegseth said that the US had successfully conducted precision strikes in Iran’s Fordow, Isfahan, and Natanz.

Hegseth said that the orders from the US President were clear and that the military had ‘obliterated’ Iran’s nuclear ambitions. (ANI)