UN Secretary-General: Israel-Iran conflict could "ignite a fire no one can control"

Guterres calls for peace as nuclear safety fears rise and major powers urge restraint.
Text: Óscar Ontañón Docal
Published 2025-06-20

The latest news on Israel and Iran. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres cautioned on Friday that the escalation of the Israel-Iran conflict could "ignite a fire no one can control" and urged all involved parties to "give peace a chance."

You might be interested:

Trump offers Iran final window for nuclear deal.
Trump on entering Israel-Iran conflict: "I may or may not do it".
Israel-Iran conflict escalates as Trump calls for Iran's unconditional surrender.


"This is such a moment," UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said. Then, he remarked that escalating the conflict could "ignite a fire no one can control" and emphasized: "We must not let that happen."

"To 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," UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said.

New York, NY - September 20, 2021: UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres addresses the media on the Informal Leaders Roundtable on Climate Action at UN Headquarters

Back