UNITED NATIONS, Jan 08 (APP): In the wake of an Iranian ballistic missile attack on air bases which house US forces in Iraq, the UN Secretary-General said on Wednesday he would “continue his active engagement” to de-escalate tensions and avert full-scale war.
In a statement released by his spokesperson, Antonio Guterres re-iterated the “passionate appeal for peace” he made on Monday, after tensions rose dramatically across the whole Gulf region, following the killing of top Iranian general, Qasem Soleimani, in a US drone strike.
Iran said it had carried out Tuesday night’s ballistic missile attack against two air bases used by US and other coalition forces in Iraq, in retaliation for the targeted killing on the outskirts of Baghdad airport on Friday.
The bases struck were the large Al Asad base, west of Baghdad, and another in Erbil, the centre of Iraq’s Kurdish region.
The strikes came just hours after the burial of the influential general, marked by huge crowds, in Iran.
The UN chief repeated his four-point message to world leaders, to: “Stop escalation.
Exercise maximum restraint. Re-start dialogue and renew international cooperation.
“This appeal remains as important today as it was on Monday.”
“For his part, the Secretary-General will continue his active engagement with relevant actors,” the statement continued.
“It is our common duty to make every effort to avoid a war in the Gulf that the world cannot afford. We must not forget the terrible human suffering caused by war. As always, ordinary people pay the highest price,” Guterres added.
