'We must act immediately to halt the fighting,' UN Secretary General tells Security Council following US bombing of Iran

Speaking at a United Nations Security Council (UNSC) meeting convened on Sunday, UN Secretary-General António Guterres urged the international community to act swiftly to de-escalate tensions in the Middle East. The UN supremo also called for guaranteeing the safeguarding of 'maritime navigation,' hours after Iran moved to close a vital waterway for the shipments of crude oil and LNG from the region.

“The bombing of Iranian nuclear facilities by the US marks a perilous turn in a region that cannot endure another cycle of destruction. As I just told the Security Council, we must act immediately & decisively to halt the fighting & return to serious, sustained negotiations on the Iran nuclear programme,” Guterres said post the meeting following the US bombing of Iranian nuclear facilities.



The UNSC session was scheduled in response to Operation Midnight Hammer, the US aerial strike that hit Iranian nuclear sites at Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan on Saturday night. The US, in support of its ally Israel, launched the largest ever B2 Spirit bomber operation in its history that severely damaged Iranian nuclear infratstructure including an underground facility.

The 76-year-old UN leader further stressed the need for diplomacy to prevail, and called for the protection of civilians and the safeguarding of maritime navigation in the region.

"To avoid a rathole of retaliation after retaliation, diplomacy must prevail. Civilians must be protected. Safe maritime navigation must be guaranteed," he said.

The Trump administration's move has spiked fears of retaliation from Tehran and its allies and raised concerns of broader regional and economic instability as Iran calls for the closure of its crucial Strait of Hormuz. The Strait, a narrow passage between the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman, is a vital artery for trade as it accounts for nearly 30% of global oil and one third of the world's LNG shipments.

The Security Council of the United Nations had met for an emergency session at its New York HQ at the behest of Tehran who had requested for a meet with the backing of Russia, China, and Pakistan.


Meanwhile, several other world leaders have also called for de-escalation of the rising tensions over nuclear arms that have endagandered the supply of crude oil to the global economy with the Iranian Parliament approving the suspension of trade in the Strait of Hormuz. However, the move will only come into effect once it garners the approval of the nation's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei.