UNITED NATIONS: UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Thursday painted a dark picture of the situation in the Middle East, warning that spiralling tensions over the war in Gaza and Iran's attack on Israel could devolve into a "full-scale regional conflict".
Guterres also said Israel's military offensive on Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip, in retaliation for their unprecedented Oct 7 attack on Israel, had created a "humanitarian hellscape" for civilians trapped in the besieged Palestinian territory.
"The Middle East is on a precipice. Recent days have seen a perilous escalation - in words and deeds," Guterres told a high-level Security Council meeting, with several foreign ministers present, including from Jordan and Iran.
"One miscalculation, one miscommunication, one mistake, could lead to the unthinkable - a full-scale regional conflict that would be devastating for all involved," he said, calling on all parties to exercise "maximum restraint."
Iran unleashed a barrage of missiles and drones on Israel over the weekend after an attack on its consulate in Damascus widely blamed on Israel.
Israeli officials have not said when or where they would retaliate, but the country's military chief has vowed a response.
Guterres condemned both the consulate attack and the flurry of drones, saying that the latter constituted a "serious escalation."