UN chief condemns strikes on Beirut, Tehran as dangerous escalation

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has denounced strikes on Beirut and Tehran as a “dangerous escalation,” following Israel's targeting of a top Hezbollah commander in Lebanon and Hamas' announcement of its political chief's killing in Iran.

“The Secretary-General believes that the attacks in South Beirut and Tehran represent a dangerous escalation at a time when efforts should be directed towards achieving a ceasefire in Gaza and securing the release of all Israeli hostages,” Spokesman for the UN secretary-general Stephane Dujarric said, Caliber.Az reports citing the foreign media.

“Guterres has consistently called on all parties to exercise maximum restraint. It is clear that restraint is no longer sufficient in this extremely challenging period. The UN secretary-general urges everyone to work tirelessly towards de-escalation to achieve long-term peace and stability. The international community must immediately prevent actions that could push the entire Middle East to the brink of major conflict, with devastating consequences for civilians. The path forward is through advancing diplomatic actions for regional de-escalation,” Dujarric added.

On the morning of July 31, Ismail Haniyeh’s residence in Tehran was attacked, resulting in the death of one of his bodyguards. Hamas has accused Israel of carrying out the attack, labeling it as a treacherous act.

Hamas said that an Israeli attack killed its leader, Ismail Haniyeh, in Tehran where Haniyeh had traveled to attend the swearing-in of Iran’s new president. A Hamas statement posted on the militant group’s Telegram channel said Haniyeh was killed at a residence in the Iranian capital.

Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps said one of Haniyeh’s bodyguards was also killed in the early morning attack, and that the incident was under investigation. Haniyeh’s death comes nearly 10 months after Iran-backed Hamas launched an attack on southern Israel, killing 1,200 people and taking about 250 hostages. Haniyeh became the head of Hamas’ political bureau in 2017, and had been living in exile in Qatar after leaving Gaza in 2019.