WEB DESK: The top UN envoy in the Middle East Friday called for urgent action to address the “growing risk” of regional escalation following recent deadly attacks in Lebanon, the Syrian Golan Heights and Iran linked to the Israeli war in Gaza.
Tor Wennesland, UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, issued a statement saying he has engaged in “critical discussions with the relevant parties and Member States in the region, including Lebanon, Egypt and Qatar, in support of regional de-escalation”.
“I underscored the urgency of addressing the growing risk of a serious escalation, which poses a substantial threat to regional stability,” he said. “We examined the ongoing efforts to mediate and de-escalate the situation and explored ways to prevent a spillover of the conflict.”
The envoy “reaffirmed the necessity of urgent, coordinated action to prevent further deterioration of the situation”.
He stressed that it was crucial to “act decisively and collectively to address the immediate threats and lay the groundwork for a lasting peace”.
On Thursday, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres reaffirmed his appeal for de-escalation in the Middle East in a phone call with Iranian acting Foreign Minister, Ali Bagheri, after Iran vowed revenge to the killing of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in a bombing of a guest house in Tehran that reportedly involved Israel.
