UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres affirmed that the US strikes on nuclear facilities in Iran mark a 'perilous turn' in the region.Speaking at the emergency meeting of the UN Security Council (UNSC) to discuss US attacks on Iranian nuclear sites, Guterres said that US strikes on Iran could plunge the region into an endless spiral of retaliation.The UN Secretary-General condemned any military escalation in the Middle East, stressing that ‘the people of the region cannot endure another cycle of destruction.’For his part, International Atomic Energy Agency Director (IAEA) General Rafael Grossi, in a video address to the UNSC, expressed concern about the risk of the conflict escalating in the region, calling for maximum restraint and stressing that the opportunity is ripe for a return to dialogue and diplomacy.The IAEA Director-General warned that failure to return to diplomatic dialogue could threaten the nuclear non-proliferation regime.’At this time, no one, including the IAEA, is in a position to assess the underground damage at Fordow,’ Grossi added, stressing that ‘armed attacks on nuclear facilities should never take place and could result in radioactive releases.’ (QNA)
