Addressing the second emergency meeting of the UN Security Council on Friday, Antonio Guterres said:
The Secretary-General of the United Nations said, “There are moments where the choices before us have important meanings, but there are moments where we define them. There are moments when the path we take determines not only the fate of the country but the future of humanity. Now is one of those moments.”
Guterres said, “I have a simple and clear message to potential parties to the parties involved and those who may be attracted to, and to potential parties to the Security Council as representatives of the international community.
“The Israeli-Iran conflict is escalating rapidly, bringing horrific casualties, including killing and wounding civilians, destroying homes, neighbourhoods and infrastructure, and attacks on nuclear facilities,” the Secretary-General said.
“We are rushing towards the cliff. We have not witnessed an isolated incident. We are on the brink of chaos. This growing conflict can ignite a fire that no one can control,” Guterres said.
He reiterated that Iran is not trying to acquire nuclear weapons. There is a trust deficit, and the only way to close this gap must be acknowledged to include full access by technical bodies in this regard through diplomacy to achieve a reliable, comprehensive, verifiable solution, including full access to inspectors from the international atomic energy agency.”
The Secretary-General said, “We are calling for an end to the war and a return to serious negotiations in order to achieve this goal. At this crucial moment, I urge the Security Council to act with unity and urgency to engage in dialogue.”
Guterres said, “I call on the international community to support the only path that could lead to lasting peace: diplomacy under international law, including the UN Charter.”
A senior UN official said, “As the Gaza catastrophe continues, this is more important than ever. In such a situation, we can confidently state that the consequences of continuing this conflict are unpredictable.”