Gulf war ‘out of control’, Guterres warns, as UN appoints envoy to push for peace

Speaking outside the UN Security Council in New York to journalists on Wednesday, Mr. Guterres said the conflict had spiralled far beyond what leaders had anticipated.

“The world is staring down the barrel of a wider war, a rising tide of human suffering, and a deeper global economic shock,” he said, adding bluntly: “This has gone too far.”

Envoy to work ‘directly on the ground’

The Secretary-General confirmed he has appointed veteran diplomat Jean Arnault as his Personal Envoy to lead UN efforts to end the conflict which has upended the entire region with shockwaves spreading worldwide – especially impacting energy markets reliant on the crucial Strait of Hormuz chokepoint. 

The envoy will work “more directly on the ground… to support all the efforts for mediation, all the efforts for peace”, engaging with all parties and assessing the conflict’s far-reaching impacts.

Mr. Guterres delivered stark messages to key actors. He urged the United States and Israel that “it is high time to end the war”, while calling on Iran “to stop attacking their neighbours that are not parties to the conflict”. 

He also stressed that freedom of navigation, particularly through the Strait of Hormuz, must be respected, warning that its prolonged disruption is choking vital supplies of oil, gas and fertiliser.

Humanitarian toll will worsen

Highlighting the humanitarian toll, he said civilians across the region were “enduring serious harm and living under profound insecurity”. Referring to Lebanon, he insisted that “the war must stop”, calling on Hezbollah to halt attacks into Israel and on Israel to cease strikes that are “hitting civilians the hardest”.

The Secretary-General also cautioned against the broader global fallout, noting that markets are “in turmoil” and humanitarian operations constrained. 

The economic shock, he said, is hitting the most vulnerable hardest, particularly in developing countries already struggling with debt and rising costs.

Aid is distributed to displaced families in northern Lebanon.

Hunger tomorrow

He pointed to the disruption of fertiliser supplies as a looming threat to global food security. “Without fertilisers today, we might have hunger tomorrow,” he warned, adding that soaring energy prices risk fuelling inflation and deepening poverty worldwide.

Despite mounting tensions and continued military escalation, Mr. Guterres insisted there remains a path forward. “Diplomacy must prevail,” he said. “War is not the answer… We need a way out of this disaster.”

“Diplomacy is the way out. Full respect of international law is the way out. Peace is the way out.”