Middle East, world cannot ‘afford more war’, says UN chief

Secretary-General of the United Nations Antonio Guterres (L) delivers opening remarks during a UN Security Council meeting on the situation in the Middle East, including Iran’s recent attack against Israel, at UN headquarters in New York City on April 14, 2024. © Charly Triballeau, AFP

“Neither the region nor the world can afford more war,” United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres warned Sunday, calling for “maximum restraint” as the Security Council met to discuss Iran’s weekend attack on Israel. The announcement came as Israel hailed its defence capabilities, with the Israeli military saying that 99% of some 300 drones and missiles launched by Iran were intercepted.

Summary:

• The Israeli military said Sunday that Iran’s attack had been “foiled”, with 99 percent of the drones and missiles being intercepted overnight. US, French and British forces contributed to Israel’s defence but the US will not participate in any offensive action against Iran, an official said.
• Iran’s armed forces chief of staff said the attack on Israel had “achieved all its objectives“. The offensive marked a major escalation of hostilities between the regional foes. Israel had said that it was bracing for a possible Iranian attack after an air strike killed two Iranian generals in Syria last week. Iran blamed Israel for the air strike and vowed revenge.
• Iran says it has summoned the French, British and German envoys over their reactions to the attack. The UN Security Council met on Sunday after Israel requested the council condemn Iran’s attack and designate the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps as a terrorist organization. Italy, which holds the rotating presidency of the G7, held a video meeting of G7 leaders on Sunday to discuss Iran’s attack on Israel.
• Iran’s allies in the region joined the attack, with Yemen‘s Houthi rebels also launching drones at Israel and Lebanon’s Hezbollah firing at Israeli positions in the annexed Golan Heights.
• The Palestinian Islamist group Hamas has rejected a latest Israeli ceasefire proposal. Israel wants to secure the return of hostages seized by Hamas in its October 7 attack but says it will not stop its offensive until Hamas is destroyed as a military force.
• At least 33,729 Palestinians have been killed and an estimated 76,371 have been injured in Israel’s military offensive in Gaza, according to the health ministry in the Hamas-run territory. Some 1,170 people were killed in the Hamas-led October 7 attacks that sparked the war and 250 people were taken hostage, according to Israeli figures, with 132 still missing.
• US Secretary of State Antony Blinken discussed Iran’s attack on Israel in separate calls with Jordanian, Saudi Arabian, Egyptian and Turkish counterparts on Sunday, the State Department said. Blinken reiterated that the US does not seek escalation. He also discussed with Egyptian FM the need to increase humanitarian aid to Gaza, protect Palestinian civilians and achieve an immediate ceasefire
• Robert Wood, deputy US ambassador to the UN, called on the 15-member body to unequivocally condemn Iran’s attack, as he said the Security Council has an obligation to not let Iran’s actions go unanswered. He said the US will explore additional measures to hold Iran accountable here at the United Nations.”
• Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah received a phone call from his Iranian counterpart Hossein Amirabdollahian late on Sunday, during which they discussed developments in the region after Iran launched drones and missiles on Israel, Saudi state news agency reported.
• Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s war cabinet favors a retaliation against Iran for its mass drone and missile attack but is divided over the timing and scale of any such response, Israeli officials said on Sunday.
• US President Joe Biden has told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to “think carefully” about retaliating for Iran’s attacks, and Israel is not seeking to escalate the situation, a US official said Sunday.

LIVEFRANCE24/AFP