UN urges maximum restraint amid rising tensions between Iran, Israel

UNITED NATIONS, April 13 (Xinhua) -- UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and UN General Assembly President Dennis Francis on Saturday called on all parties concerned to exercise utmost restraint amid rising tensions between Iran and Israel.

Strongly condemning the "large-scale attack" launched on Israel by Iran, Guterres called for maximum restraint by all parties and warned that "neither the region nor the world can afford another war."

"I call for an immediate cessation of these hostilities," said Guterres in a statement on Saturday evening, shortly after Iran reportedly launched hundreds of drone and missile attacks against Israel.

The UN Security Council has scheduled an emergency meeting for 4 p.m. local time (1200 GMT) Sunday to discuss the latest flare-up in the region.

"The Iranian response compounds the already tense and delicate peace and security situation in the Middle East," said Francis in a separate statement, calling on all parties to exercise the utmost restraint to avoid further escalation of tension in the region.

Iran's UN mission said Saturday that the attack on Israel "can be deemed concluded."

Conducted on the strength of Article 51 of the UN Charter pertaining to legitimate defense, Iran's military action was in response to Israel's aggression against Iran's diplomatic premises in Damascus, the mission said on social media X.

"However, should the Israeli regime make another mistake, Iran's response will be considerably more severe," it warned. ■