United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres issued a stark warning early Sunday following U.S. airstrikes on Iranian soil, denouncing the move as a dangerous escalation and a direct threat to global peace and security.

In a statement shared on the social platform X, Guterres expressed deep concern over the U.S. use of force, calling it a grave development in an already volatile region. “I am gravely alarmed by the use of force by the United States against Iran today,” Guterres wrote. “This is a dangerous escalation in a region already on the edge—and a direct threat to international peace and security.”

The Secretary-General warned of the growing potential for the conflict to spiral out of control. “There is a growing risk that this conflict could rapidly get out of control—with catastrophic consequences for civilians, the region, and the world,” he cautioned.

Guterres called on all U.N. Member States to step back from the brink and uphold international norms. “I call on Member States to de-escalate and to uphold their obligations under the U.N. Charter and other rules of international law,” he said.

“At this perilous hour, it is critical to avoid a spiral of chaos,” he added, underscoring the need for restraint.

Rejecting military action as a viable path forward, the U.N. chief reiterated his long-standing position that diplomacy is the only sustainable solution to such crises. “There is no military solution. The only path forward is diplomacy. The only hope is peace.”

Guterres’s remarks come amid heightened tensions following U.S. airstrikes targeting Iranian nuclear facilities—a move that has drawn widespread criticism and renewed fears of broader regional conflict. (ILKHA)