'On course to potential chaos' UN Chief sounds alarm over Iran-Israel
'The world is watching with growing alarm. We are not drifting toward crises. We are racing toward it. We are not witnessing isolated incidents. We are on course to potential chaos. The expansion of these conflicts could ignite a fire that no one can control. We must not let that happen.' UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres delivering a stark warning there, as he calls on Israel and Iran to de-escalate the ongoing conflict. Since Israel launched strikes on Iran just over a week ago both countries have been exchanging continuous fire in a deadly regional escalation. Now, Israel is threatening Iran with a 'prolonged war' and warns Israeli citizens that they should prepare for difficult days ahead. Israeli Military Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir says that every day, Israel is expanding it's freedom of action. " We have embarked on one the most complex campaigns in our history. We have embarked on a campaign to remove a threat of this magnitude and against such an enemy that requires readiness for a prolonged campaign. The IDF is prepared for this. Day by day, our freedom of action is expanding and the enemy's freedom of action is shrinking." Iranian officials have met in Geneva for talks with their European counterparts, but there were few signs of progress as major sticking points arose in negotiations. Foreign Ministers from France, Germany and the U-K, as well as the European Union, are urging Iran to engage with the U-S over its nuclear program. Iran says it will not discuss it's nuclear capabilities or engage in talks on the matter while Israel is attacking it. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi says Iran is ready for diplomacy, but only when Israel halts its aggression. "Iran's nuclear program is peaceful and has always been under the IAEA safeguards and monitoring, hence armed attacks against safeguarded nuclear facilities by the regime (Israel), which is not a party to any WMD (Weapons of Mass Destruction) treaties, is a serious crime and violation of international law. In this content, I express grave concern on non condemnation of these heinous attacks by E3 and EU. Iran is ready to consider diplomacy once again and once aggression is stopped and the aggressor is held accountable for the crimes committed. In this regard, I made it clear that Iran's defense capabilities are not negotiable." Despite European leaders underscoring the small window for diplomacy, no date was set for a follow up meeting. US President Donald Trump meanwhile says he will decide within two weeks whether the United States will join Israel in strikes on Iran. With the possibility of US involvement looming large over the region, acting U-S representative to the U-N Dorothy Shea, says Iran must abandon its nuclear program. 'It is not too late for the Government of Iran to do the right thing. President Trump has been clear in recent days that Iran's leadership must completely abandon its nuclear enrichment program and all aspirations of acquiring a nuclear weapon.' Israel is justifying a week of deadly airstrikes on Iran by claiming it is on the verge of obtaining nuclear weapons. The Federation of American Scientists and the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, an independent international organisation dedicated to researching arms control and disarmament, estimate that Israel has 90 nuclear warheads. Israel has never confirmed that it possesses nuclear weapons, but unlike Iran, it is one of only five countries that are not signatories to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons. Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Rafael Grossi, says they don't have evidence that Iran is planning to develop a nuclear weapon. "We do not have at this point, if you ask me, at this point, any tangible proof that there is a program or a plan to fabricate to manufacture a nuclear weapon. There are different scattered activities here and there. And there is the material." In March, the US Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard testified to congress that the U-S intelligence community believed Tehran was not working on a nuclear warhead. On Friday Donald Trump told reporters the intelligence community got it wrong. "What intelligence do you have that Iran is building a nuclear weapon? Your intelligence community has said they have no evidence that they are at this point." Donald Trump: "Well, then my intelligence community is wrong. Who in the intelligence community said that?" Reporter: "Your Director of National Intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard." Donald Trump: "She's wrong." A US based NGO says at least 657 people, including at least 263 civilians, have been killed by Israeli strikes on Iran. The Human Rights Activists News Agency says more than 20 children are among those killed. Israeli authorities say at least 25 people have been killed in Iranian strikes. An Iranian strike on a hospital in Haifa reported 19 injured, which Israeli President Isaac Herzog says also hit a mosque. Following the strike, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar condemned Iran for attacking civilian infrastructure. " We see here once again the results of the Iranian strategy. The Iranian regime is targeting deliberately civilian population centers. Therefore, you can see that a pure civilian area was hit here. And specifically, in that case - a mosque. It's a war crime. This is clear, because according to international law, you cannot target civilian population centres." Iran says it was targeting military sites. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi says Israel's condemnation over the hospital strike is hypocritical. "To hear such so-called lamentations from a regime that has deliberately bombed hospitals in Gaza is a bit laughable. In some cases, bombing wasn't even enough for them, their armed forces stormed hospitals and shot patients to death, executed them inside hospital wards, with machine guns. And now, that same regime pretends to be a victim on the international stage. This is, frankly, a little laughable." Meanwhile in Gaza, Israeli forces have repeatedly opened fire at Palestinians attempting to reach aid, with health authorities reporting at least 34 were killed on Friday. The United Nations says Israeli attacks have killed more than 400 people who were desperately attempting to reach aid in recent weeks. Virginia Gamba is the Special Representative of the Secretary General for Children and Armed Conflict. Speaking on a new report on children in conflict, she says Gaza and the West Bank recorded the highest number of rights violations in 2024.
"The magnitude of the suffering of the children in Gaza defies and contravenes every human standard. We cannot continue to stand by and watch with no action. There is no justification for depriving children of access to survival means such as food, healthcare, and security."
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