United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres issued a stark warning on Friday, urging all parties involved in the escalating Iran-Israel conflict to step back from the brink of all-out war and “give peace a chance.”
Speaking at a UN Security Council meeting, Guterres made a direct appeal not only to the countries at the centre of the conflict but also to members of the Security Council, which he described as the voice of the global community. In a pointed remark widely interpreted as aimed at the United States, which is reportedly weighing military involvement in support of Israel, he emphasised: “To the parties to the conflict — the potential parties to the conflict — and to the Security Council, I have a simple and clear message: Give peace a chance.”
Guterres warned that the world was facing not a gradual escalation but a rapid deterioration. “We are not drifting toward crisis — we are racing toward it,” he said. “These are not isolated incidents — we are heading straight for potential chaos.”
The UN chief cautioned that if hostilities were to spread further, the resulting conflagration could spiral far beyond anyone’s control. “The expansion of this conflict could ignite a fire that no one can control. We must not let that happen,” he urged.
The heightened alarm comes during rising global fears that the ongoing conflict could escalate into a much wider regional war, pulling in additional powers and deepening instability across the Middle East.
