UN Chief Calls For 'Halting Fighting, Return To Serious, Sustained Negotiations 

NEW YORK, June 23 (Bernama-WAM) -- The UN Secretary-General António Guterres said the bombing of Iranian nuclear facilities by the United States marks a “perilous turn in a region that is already reeling”,  Emirates News Agency (WAM) reported. 

“From the outset of the crisis, I have repeatedly condemned any military escalation in the Middle East. The people of the region cannot endure another cycle of destruction. And yet, we now risk descending into a rathole of retaliation after retaliation,” he said in his remarks before the Emergency Meeting held by the Security Council.

“To avoid it, diplomacy must prevail. Civilians must be protected. Safe maritime navigation must be guaranteed. We must act – immediately and decisively – to halt the fighting and return to serious, sustained negotiations on the Iran nuclear programme,” he added.

He stressed on the need to “a credible, comprehensive and verifiable solution – one that restores trust – including with full access to inspectors of the IAEA, as the United Nations technical authority in this field.”

He described he Non-Proliferation Treaty as a cornerstone of international peace and security. “Iran must fully respect it. And all Member States must act in accordance with their obligations under the UN Charter and other rules of international law, including international humanitarian law.”

The United Nations, he said, “stands ready to support any and all efforts toward a peaceful resolution. But peace cannot be imposed – it must be chosen.”

“We face a stark choice. One path leads to wider war, deeper human suffering, and serious damage to the international order. The other leads to de-escalation, diplomacy and dialogue. We know which path is right.”

He urged the Council and all Member States “to act with reason, restraint, and urgency. We cannot – and must not – give up on peace.”

-- BERNAMA-WAM