UN political chief stresses urgency for diplomacy to defuse Israeli-Iranian crisis

United Nations, June 21 (IANS) UN Undersecretary-General for Political Affairs Rosemary DiCarlo stressed the urgency for diplomacy to de-escalate the tensions between Israel and Iran.

The window to prevent a catastrophic escalation and achieve a peaceful resolution has not yet closed, as demonstrated by Friday's meeting in Geneva between the Iranian foreign minister and his counterparts from Britain, France and Germany, said DiCarlo.

"We strongly encourage such efforts. We must pursue every possible opportunity to de-escalate, to cease the hostilities, to settle disputes by peaceful means," she told an emergency meeting of the Security Council. "The imperative for diplomacy has seldom been greater."

DiCarlo said the scope and scale of attacks in Iran and Israel continue to widen, with grave consequences for civilians in both countries, Xinhua news agency reported.

In Iran, Israel claims to have targeted over 100 military sites and nuclear facilities. At the same time, government buildings, homes and residential neighborhoods, factories, hospitals, airports, and refineries have been struck. Tuesday's bombing of Iran's state-run television channel during a live broadcast marked a chilling moment, she said.

In Israel, residential neighbourhoods and essential infrastructure have been hit throughout the country. Several civilian sites have been directly impacted. A state of national emergency remains in place, with severe restrictions on air travel, she noted.

Throughout the Middle Eastern region, airspace remains severely constrained by the exchanges of airstrikes, not only within Iran and Israel, but also throughout Syria, Jordan, Lebanon, Iraq, and beyond, said DiCarlo.

The intensifying cycle of attacks and counterattacks has resulted in hundreds of civilian casualties in both Iran and Israel. As of Thursday, 224 people had been killed and more than 2,500 others injured in Israeli strikes across Iran. In Israel, Iran's strikes have killed 24 people and injured 915 others, she said, citing official figures from the two countries.

"We are teetering on the edge of a full-blown conflict and a humanitarian crisis," warned DiCarlo. "We are witnessing in real time the impact of the conflict regionally, with missile launches by the Houthis in Yemen toward Israel, and heightened tensions involving armed groups in Iraq. Any further expansion of the conflict could have enormous consequences for the region and for international peace and security at large."

--IANS

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