UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has warned that the ongoing conflict involving Iran has “spun beyond all boundaries” and declared the war “out of control,” urging world powers to return to diplomacy and respect for international law.
Speaking at a news conference at UN headquarters on Friday, Guterres cautioned that the world now faced the risk of a far broader confrontation, with civilian casualties mounting and global economic repercussions deepening.
“More than three weeks on, this war is out of control.
“The conflict has broken past the limits even leaders thought imaginable.
”The world is staring down the barrel of a wider war, a rising tide of human suffering, and a deeper global economic shock. It has gone too far, ” he said.
He specifically called on the United States and Israel to end hostilities, while urging Iran to halt attacks on Gulf countries, which are not parties to the conflict.
The UN chief highlighted the economic fallout from the war, pointing to disruptions in shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, a critical artery for global trade.
The strait handles roughly 25 per cent of global oil, 20 per cent of liquefied natural gas, and nearly 30 per cent of fertiliser trade.
“The prolonged closure of the Strait of Hormuz is choking the movement of oil, gas, and fertiliser at a critical moment in the global planting season,” he said.
Turning to Lebanon, Guterres condemned Israeli military operations there, warning that the Gaza model must not be replicated.
“Israel must stop its military operations and strikes in Lebanon, which are hitting civilians the hardest,” he said.
In an effort to mediate the crisis, Guterres announced the appointment of Jean Arnault of France as his personal envoy to lead UN efforts on the conflict and its consequences.
Arnault previously served as the UN chief’s personal envoy on Afghanistan and regional issues in 2021.
“He will be doing everything possible to support all the efforts for mediation, all the efforts for peace, to be in contact with all the parties,” Guterres explained.
The conflict has escalated sharply since February 28, when a joint US-Israel offensive on Iran reportedly killed more than 1,300 people, including Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
Guterres emphasised that urgent diplomacy is essential to end what he called a “horrible conflict” with devastating consequences.
