'No more attacks, excuses': UN Chief urges diplomatic settlement amid escalating crisis in West Asia
Geneva, June 11
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Thursday called all parties to pursue diplomacy for peace in the West Asia region after repeated attacks have put the ceasefire in peril.
In a post on X, Antonio Guterres said, "The Middle East is being pulled deeper into crisis & the consequences reach far beyond the region. This week has brought wider attacks and further deterioration where the ceasefire is more like a lesser-fire. We should not minimize the risks of lesser fire becoming full fire. All parties must work towards a diplomatic settlement. No more attacks. No more excuses."
Amid a rapidly evolving situation in West Asia and the Gulf region, Kuwait, Jordan and Bahrain issued alerts as air defence systems intercept aerial targets.
This comes after the CENTCOM announced in the early hours of Thursday that it carried out additional "self-defence strikes" against multiple targets in Iran, June 10, at the Commander in Chief's direction. According to CENTCOM, these were launched against Iranian military surveillance capabilities, communication systems, and air defence sites across Iran.
The key developments come as Iranian officials announced the closure of the Strait of Hormuz in response to American strikes.
However, CENTCOM issued a fact-check stating that commercial ships are continuing to transit in and out of the Strait of Hormuz.
Citing Iran's IRGC, Al Jazeera further said that 18 "important" US military-related sites were targeted, including the Ali Al-Salem and Ahmed Al-Jaber bases in Kuwait, and Sheikh Isa Air Base in Bahrain, as part of its response operations to US attacks.
As tensions escalate, Press TV reported that IRGC's Commander General Sayed Majid Mousavi warned US, vowing to turn the region into "hell: if the US continues to threaten the security of the Strait of Hormuz.
— ANI
Reader Comments
The whole world is paying the price for a conflict that never seems to end. I'm not a fan of the US strikes on Iran, but Tehran threatening to close the Strait of Hormuz is like playing with fire. That strait handles a huge chunk of global oil—we in the West will feel it, but India will get hit hard too. Diplomacy is the only way out.
"No more attacks, no more excuses." I wish that was enough. The reality is the US and Iran are locked in a dangerous dance, and civilians always suffer. India has good relations with both, so maybe we can play mediator? Our diplomacy is strong, and we understand the pain of instability firsthand. Let's hope common sense prevails. 🙏
The IRGC commander saying they'll turn the region into 'hell' shows how reckless things have become. Meanwhile, we in India are just hoping flights to the Gulf don't get cancelled again—there are lakhs of our workers in Kuwait, Bahrain, and Saudi Arabia. This isn't some distant war; it hits home. Guterres should push harder.
The US says it carried out 'self-defence' strikes, and Iran says it targeted US bases. What a mess. The Strait of Hormuz closure threat is a huge red flag. India imports the majority of its oil from the Gulf, and if that spigot gets turned off, our economy will stumble. We need a ceasefire, ASAP.
I appreciate Guterres calling out the 'lesser fire
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