The world is on ‘edge of a wider war’ as Mideast crisis worsens, says UN chief

UNITED NATIONS, Apr 02 (APP): UN Secretary-General António Guterres issued a stark warning Thursday over the worsening crisis in the Middle East, emphasizing that the growing human, economic, and geopolitical toll of the conflict could have catastrophic global repercussions.

Speaking at a press stakeout at UN Headquarters in New York, Guterres said the war, now entering its second month, has brought “indiscriminate attacks,” targeting civilians and civilian infrastructure, while threatening to ignite a wider regional conflict with “dramatic impacts around the globe.”

As the crisis stemming from US-Israeli attacks against Iran lurched into its second month, he said that the world is “on the edge of a wider war” with catastrophic global implications.

The UN chief painted a grim picture of the rapidly deteriorating situation, as Israel and the US continue to bomb Iran while Tehran carries out attacks on neighbouring Gulf States and threatens ships it deems hostile against using the crucial Strait of Hormuz.

“Every day this war continues, human suffering grows. The scale of devastation grows. Indiscriminate attacks grow,” Guterres stated, noting that the targeting of civilians and civilian infrastructure, as well as general perils to the world economy, especially the most vulnerable societies which depend on energy imports, are mounting daily.

He emphasized that the impacts of the crisis were no longer contained within the region, pointing specifically to the severe disruptions surrounding freedom of navigation.

“When the Strait of Hormuz is strangled, the world’s poorest and most vulnerable cannot breathe,” he warned.

He noted that the consequences were already visible “in the daily lives of people struggling with rising food and energy costs from the Philippines…to Sri Lanka…to Mozambique.”

To curb this escalating trajectory, the Secretary-General announced he was dispatching his Personal Envoy, Jean Arnault, to the region to assist in ongoing peace initiatives.

“The spiral of death and destruction must stop,” he implored, urging that diplomatic efforts be given the space and support to succeed.

Guterres stressed that any resolution must be anchored firmly in international law and the United Nations Charter.

He called for disputes to be settled peacefully, for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all Member States to be respected, and for the protection of civilians and nuclear installations under threat in Iran and elsewhere as the war metastasizes.

Directly addressing the combatants, the Secretary-General declared: “To the United States and Israel, it is high time to stop the war that is inflicting immense human suffering and already triggering devastating economic consequences.”

Iran, he continued, must stop attacking its neighbours.

Reiterating that the Security Council has already condemned these attacks and reaffirmed the need to respect navigational rights in critical maritime routes, the UN chief reminded world leaders that the power to end the crisis lies in their hands.

“Conflicts do not end on their own,” Guterres concluded. “They end when leaders choose dialogue over destruction. That choice still exists. And it must be made – now.