UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has expressed grave concern over a renewed exchange of fire overnight between the US and Iran, voicing alarm over reported civilian casualties, including a strike that reportedly hit a wedding ceremony in Iran, Anadolu reports.
“I can tell the secretary-general is gravely concerned by the renewed exchange of fire overnight between the United States and the Islamic Republic of Iran. The secretary-general is deeply alarmed by reports of civilian casualties, including a strike that reportedly hit a wedding ceremony in Iran,” UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric tells a news conference.
“The secretary-general condemns all attacks against civilians. He recalls that all parties must respect their obligations under international humanitarian law, including the principles of distinction, proportionality, and precaution,” he adds.
Dujarric notes that a “few countries in the region are immune to this escalation, with airspace and critical shipping routes continuing to be heavily impacted.”
He says that Guterres “reiterates his call for an immediate cessation of military action and urges all concerned to exercise restraint and refrain from action and rhetoric that could further escalate already high tensions.”
