UN Secretary-General Guterres denounces US strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities, calling them a “dangerous escalation” and “direct threat to international peace.” This criticism follows his past condemnation of Israeli counterterrorism operations.
United Nations (UN) Secretary-General Antonio Guterres wasted little time on Saturday before denouncing the US strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities.
“I am gravely alarmed by the use of force by the United States against Iran today. This is a dangerous escalation in a region already on the edge – and a direct threat to international peace and security,” said Guterres.
He warned, “There is a growing risk that this conflict could rapidly get out of control – with catastrophic consequences for civilians, the region, and the world.”
“I call on Member States to de-escalate and to uphold their obligations under the UN Charter and other rules of international law. At this perilous hour, it is critical to avoid a spiral of chaos.”
He further stated, “There is no military solution. The only path forward is diplomacy. The only hope is peace.”
Guterres’s criticism of the US joins his regular criticism of Israel’s counterterrorism operations against Hamas, Hezbollah and the Houthis in Yemen.
Several weeks after Hamas’s October 7, 2023 massacre, the UN Secretary-General said that the attack on Israel “did not happen in a vacuum” and appeared to blame Israel for the attack.
After his remarks were widely condemned, the UN chief claimed his comments were misinterpreted and that he had indeed condemned Hamas.
He recently criticized Israel’s renewal of strikes on the Gaza Strip and said he was “outraged” by them.
In response, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Oren Marmorstein wrote, “We are outraged that you, Antonio Guterres, are the Secretary-General of the UN.”
“Not a word about the fact that Hamas rejected two American proposals to extend the ceasefire and release more hostages—two proposals that Israel accepted,” added Marmorstein.
“Not a word about the fact that Hamas exploits the transfer of goods to Gaza to rebuild its war machine in order to further attack Israel.”
“Not a word about UNRWA, which, under your leadership, employs Hamas terrorists, and its facilities were used by Hamas to hold hostages. Indeed, we are outraged by your moral bankruptcy,” the Foreign Ministry spokesperson concluded.
