UN: The situation in the Middle East is still dangerous

The general situation in the Middle East remains very dangerous, the UN has warned.

The UN Security Council held a session yesterday at the request of Russia to consider the US strikes in Iraq and Syria.

During the session, UN Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs, Rosemary DiCarlo, said tensions in the Middle East have engulfed many countries.

She stressed that the Secretary-General warned of the dangers of further escalation and miscalculation, after the attacks on 7 October.

She noted that since October 2023, the region has witnessed almost daily incidents, including about 165 attacks on American facilities in Syria and Iraq.

DiCarlo called on all parties “to step back from the brink and to consider the unbearable human and economic cost of a potential regional conflict.”

“The Middle East remains highly volatile,” she said, stressing that “long-term regional stability demands the implementation of a clear political roadmap in each of these situations.”

DiCarlo appealed “to the Council to continue to actively engage all concerned parties to prevent further escalation and the worsening of tensions that undermine regional peace and security.”

At dawn on Saturday, the US Central Command (CENTCOM) announced the launch of retaliatory strikes in Iraq and Syria against 85 targets which it said belonged to the Iranian Revolutionary Guard’s Quds Force and militias loyal to it.

The American strikes came in response to the attack on an American base on the Jordanian-Syrian border days earlier, which resulted in the death of three soldiers and the injury of 25 others. Washington held the Islamic Resistance in Iraq responsible for the attack, which was described as the “strongest” against the United States since Israel launched its genocidal war on the Gaza Strip on 7 October.

READ: Iraq warns Middle East is on ‘brink of the abyss’ after US strikes on Iran-backed targets