Guterres warns against escalation as US and Iran trade new strikes

UN Secretary-General António Guterres has called on all parties involved in the Middle East conflict to halt hostilities and work towards a diplomatic settlement after the US and Iran exchanged strikes across the region for a second consecutive day, further straining an already fragile ceasefire.

“The Middle East is being pulled deeper into crisis & the consequences reach far beyond the region. This week has brought wider attacks and further deterioration where the ceasefire is more like a lesser-fire. We should not minimize the risks of lesser fire becoming full fire. All parties must work towards a diplomatic settlement. No more attacks. No more excuses,” Guterres said in a post on X.

The US strikes came hours after President Donald Trump vowed that US forces would hit Iran "hard" and said that Tehran had taken "too long to make a deal" to permanently end the war.

In response, Iran launched a round of strikes targeting US military assets in countries across the region.