United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has condemned Iran’s missile strikes on Israel, urging an end to the cycle of escalating violence in the Middle East.
Speaking to the UN Security Council, Guterres called for a halt to the “deadly cycle of tit-for-tat violence,” referencing the ongoing hostilities between Israel and Iran-backed groups in the region.
Guterres’ remarks follow a recent fallout with Israeli authorities, who declared him persona non grata. The controversy arose after Guterres initially called for a ceasefire without explicitly mentioning the Iranian attack.
Israel’s Foreign Minister Israel Katz described Guterres as “an anti-Israel secretary-general who lends support to terrorists.”
During the Security Council session, Guterres clarified his stance, stating that he had condemned the attack in April and reiterated his condemnation of the recent missile strikes by Iran.
“These attacks paradoxically do not seem to support the cause of the Palestinian people, or reduce their suffering,” Guterres said. He also criticised Israel’s military actions in Gaza, referring to the campaign as “the most deadly and destructive military campaign in my years as secretary-general.”
On Tuesday, Iran launched approximately 180 ballistic missiles into Israel, most of which were intercepted. Following the attack, Guterres condemned the “broadening of the Middle East conflict” in a statement on social media platform X, formerly Twitter.
Before Guterres addressed the Security Council, Katz emphasised that any figure who fails to unequivocally condemn Iran’s assault on Israel does not deserve to enter the country. Katz criticised Guterres’ “anti-Israel policy” since the war began.
The missile strikes are the latest in a series of escalations between Iran and Israel, which have been intensifying over the past year. The conflict has involved ongoing clashes between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah, and escalated after Hamas’ attack on southern Israel on 7 October, in which 1,200 Israelis were killed, and 251 were taken hostage.
Israel responded with a military campaign in Gaza, where the Hamas-run health ministry reports 41,689 casualties. Throughout the conflict, tensions have also simmered between Israel and the United Nations over the role of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, and the agency’s response to Israeli airstrikes that have killed some of its staff.
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