UN鈥檚 Guterres urges 鈥榞ive peace a chance鈥� in Israel-Iran conflict

Antonio Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations, speaks during a meeting of the UN Security Council, about the conflict between Israel and Iran, at UN headquarters in New York City, Jun. 20, 2025. (Reuters)
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  • Guterres said there were 鈥渕oments when the directions taken will shape not just the fate of nations, but potentially our collective future鈥�
  • Rafael Grossi, IAEA鈥檚 head, outlined Israeli attacks on nuclear facilities at Natanz, Isfahan and Arak

NEW YORK: UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned on Friday that expansion of the Israel-Iran conflict could 鈥渋gnite a fire no one can control鈥� and called on both sides and potential parties to the conflict to 鈥済ive peace a chance.鈥�

The head of the UN nuclear watchdog agency, speaking at the same United Nations Security Council session, warned that attacks on nuclear facilities could result in the release of radiation 鈥渨ithin and beyond boundaries鈥� of Iran, and called for maximum restraint.

Guterres said there were 鈥渕oments when the directions taken will shape not just the fate of nations, but potentially our collective future.鈥�

鈥淭his is such a moment,鈥� he said.

He said expansion of the conflict would 鈥渋gnite a fire that no one can control鈥� and added: 鈥淲e must not let that happen.鈥�

鈥淭o the parties to the conflict, the potential parties to the conflict, and to the Security Council as the representative of the international community, I have a simple and clear message: give peace a chance,鈥� Guterres said.

The Security Council session took place as European foreign ministers met their Iranian counterpart on Friday hoping to test Tehran鈥檚 readiness to negotiate a new nuclear deal despite there being scant prospect of Israel ceasing its attacks soon.

Israel has repeatedly bombed nuclear targets in Iran and Iran has fired missiles and drones at Israel as a week-old air war escalated with no sign yet of an exit strategy from either side.

The White House said on Thursday US President Donald Trump would make a decision within the next two weeks whether to get involved on Israel鈥檚 side. Iran said on Friday it would not discuss the future of its nuclear program while under attack by Israel.

Israel鈥檚 UN ambassador, Danny Danon, said his country sought genuine efforts to dismantle Iran鈥檚 nuclear capabilities from Friday鈥檚 meeting between European and Iranian ministers, not just another round of talks

鈥淲e have seen diplomatic talks for the last few decades, and look at the results,鈥� he told reporters.

鈥淚f it is going to be like another session and debates, that鈥檚 not going to work.鈥�

Rafael Grossi, head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, outlined Israeli attacks on nuclear facilities at Natanz, Isfahan and Arak.

He said the level of radioactivity outside Iran鈥檚 Natanz site has remained unchanged and at normal levels, indicating no external radiological impact on the population or the environment there.

However, he said that within the facility there was both radiological and chemical contamination. He said the IAEA was not aware of any damage at Iran鈥檚 Fordow plant at this time.

An attack on Iran鈥檚 Bushehr plant would be most serious, he said: 鈥淚t is an operating nuclear power plant and hosts thousands of kilograms of nuclear material.鈥�

鈥淚 want to make it absolutely and completely clear: In the case of an attack on the Bushehr nuclear power plant, a direct hit would result in a very high release of radioactivity to the environment,鈥� Grossi said.

鈥淪imilarly, a hit that disabled the only two lines supplying electrical power to the plant could cause its reactor鈥檚 core to melt.鈥�

He said any action against the Tehran nuclear research reactor will also have severe consequences, 鈥減otentially for large areas of the city of Tehran and its inhabitants.鈥�

The US ambassador to the United Nations, Dorothy Camille Shea, said the United States 鈥渃ontinues to stand with Israel and supports its actions against Iran鈥檚 nuclear ambitions.鈥�

鈥淲e can no longer ignore that Iran has all that it needs to achieve a nuclear weapon,鈥� she said.

China and Russia demanded immediate de-escalation.

Russia鈥檚 UN ambassador, Vasily Nebenzya, said Israel鈥檚 actions risked pulling third countries into the conflict and internationalization of the conflict must be avoided.

He said targeting of what he called Iran鈥檚 peaceful civilian nuclear facilities was 鈥渓iable to plunge us into a hither to unseen nuclear catastrophe.鈥�

Iran says its nuclear program is only for peaceful purposes. Israel is widely assumed to possess nuclear weapons. It neither confirms nor denies this.