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1 of 3 | U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres speaks during an emergency convention of nan Security Council successful New York City, New York, connected Sunday. Photo by Eskinder Debebe/U.N.
April 15 (UPI) -- The Middle East is facing nan existent threat of a "devastating full-scale conflict," United Nations caput Antonio Guterres warned Sunday nighttime arsenic he called for restraint pursuing Iran's onslaught connected Israel.
"The Middle East is connected nan brink. The group of nan region are confronting a existent threat of a devastating full-scale conflict. Now is nan clip to defuse and de-escalate. Now is nan clip for maximum restraint," he said.
Guterres, director-general of nan intergovernmental organization, made nan remarks Sunday nighttime during an emergency session of nan Security Council called aft Iran connected Saturday launched hundreds of missiles and drones astatine Israel.
The immense mostly of nan weapons fired from Iran, Lebanon, Syria, Iraq and Yemen were intercepted by Israel, nan United States and their allies, but nan onslaught raises fears of nan warfare expanding.
Iran sought retribution from an onslaught early this period connected its embassy analyzable successful Syria, which resulted successful nan deaths of respective subject officers.
It was nan first clip that Iran has straight attacked Israel amid Israel's six-month warfare pinch Tehran's proxy militia Hamas successful Gaza.
"It's clip to measurement backmost from nan brink," Guterres said.
"It is captious to debar immoderate action that could lead to awesome subject confrontations connected aggregate fronts successful nan Middle East. Civilians are already base nan brunt and paying nan highest price."
Israel had called nan emergency meeting, during which its ambassador to nan intergovernmental organization, Gilad Erdan, urged nan 15-member assembly to enforce "all imaginable sanctions connected Iran earlier its excessively late."
He reiterated warnings Sunday that Iran, whom he compared to Nazi Germany, posed not only a threat to Israel but besides wider world, and its actions threatened to escalate a location conflict into a world one.
"Last nighttime nan world witnessed an unprecedented escalation that serves arsenic nan clearest impervious for what happens erstwhile warnings aren't heeded," he said. "Israel is not nan boy who cried wolf; we person been screaming from nan rooftops for years trying to aftermath up nan world community, but to nary avail."
Iran has defended its attack, pinch its ambassador to nan U.N., Amir Saeid Iravani, stating they were practicing their "inherent correct to aforesaid defense" arsenic outlined successful nan U.N. Charter.
He described nan onslaught arsenic concluded and proportionate, precise pinch only subject sites targeted successful an effort to forestall escalation and civilian casualties.
At slightest 1 child, a seven-year-old, was wounded successful nan Saturday strike.
Iravani besides accused nan United States and different Western countries of hypocrisy for shielding Israel from work for nan thousands of Palestinians civilians killed successful Gaza amid its warfare against Hamas connected nan grounds of aforesaid defense while denying Iran its correct to aforesaid defense erstwhile it retaliates for an onslaught connected its negotiated facility.
Meanwhile, nan United States replacement ambassador to nan council, Robert Wood, told nan assembly that they are considering measures to impost against Iran successful nan United Nations complete nan attack.
He besides warned that if Iran aliases its proxies attacked nan United States, Tehran will beryllium held responsible.
"The Security Council must unequivocally condemn Iran's fierce actions and telephone for Iran and its partners and proxies to cease their attacks," he said.
Israel has been waging warfare against Hamas since nan militant group launched a bloody astonishment battle connected Israel Oct. 7, sidesplitting 1,200 group pinch different 253 being taken hostage. More than 100 of nan hostages are believed to still beryllium Hamas captives.
The warfare by Israel has resulted successful nan deaths of astir 34,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, according to nan Hamas-run Palestinian Ministry of Health.
