UN Chief Sounds Alarm Over Iran War, Warns of Expanding Global Crisis

(MENAFN) UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Wednesday cautioned that the ongoing Iran war has escalated beyond all expectations, describing the conflict as “out of control” and warning that the world faces the threat of a far wider confrontation.

"More than three weeks on, this war is out of control," Guterres told reporters at a news conference at UN headquarters in New York, adding that "the conflict has broken past the limits even leaders thought imaginable."

He highlighted the severe human and economic toll of the fighting, stating, "The world is staring down the barrel of a wider war, a rising tide of human suffering, and a deeper global economic shock," and emphasizing that the situation "has gone too far."

Calling for an immediate halt to military escalation, Guterres said, "It is time to stop climbing the escalation ladder and start climbing the diplomatic ladder, and return to full respect of international law."

Addressing the main parties involved, he warned, "My message to the United States and Israel is that it is high time to end the war as human suffering deepens, civilian casualties mount, and the global economic impact is increasingly devastating."

He also urged Iran to cease attacks on Gulf countries, noting that they "are not parties to the conflict."

Guterres underscored the wider economic consequences, particularly the impact on energy and agriculture, stating, "The prolonged closure of the Strait (of Hormuz) is choking the movement of oil, gas, and fertilizer at a critical moment in the global planting season."

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