United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres on Sunday warned that escalating military confrontation involving the United States, Israel and Iran has placed West Asia “on the brink” of a wider conflict, posing a grave threat to international peace and security.Addressing an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council, Guterres condemned both the large-scale US-Israeli strikes on Iran and Tehran’s retaliatory attacks across Gulf states, calling for an immediate halt to hostilities.Invoking Article 2 of the UN Charter, he said member states must refrain from the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any country, cautioning that continued escalation in an already volatile region risks triggering consequences beyond global control.“Military action carries the risk of igniting a chain of events that no one can control,” he said, emphasising that dialogue and negotiated settlement remain the only viable path to lasting peace.Providing a preliminary assessment, the UN chief said the situation on the ground remained “highly fluid”, with several developments yet to be independently verified.Nearly 20 Iranian cities — including Tehran, Isfahan, Qom and Tabriz — were reportedly targeted in coordinated strikes. Powerful explosions were recorded in central Tehran, including areas housing the presidential complex and the residence of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.Iran has since closed its airspace and imposed a near-total internet blackout, even as reports pointed to mounting civilian casualties. Iranian media claimed at least 85 people were killed in an airstrike on a girls’ school in Hormozgan province, while another school in Tehran was also reportedly hit.Hostilities rapidly spread across the region after Iran launched retaliatory missile and drone strikes targeting US military assets and infrastructure in Bahrain, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.Most Gulf states intercepted incoming projectiles, though the UAE reported one civilian death caused by falling missile debris. Israeli authorities also reported injuries following Iranian strikes and impacts in parts of the occupied West Bank.Guterres expressed deep regret that the escalation followed a third round of indirect US-Iran talks mediated by Oman, with further technical discussions scheduled in Vienna. “I deeply regret that this opportunity of diplomacy has been squandered,” he said.Rising global concern has also centred on reports that Iran may move to close the Strait of Hormuz, a critical global energy corridor, raising fears of economic disruption alongside military escalation.Urging restraint, the Secretary-General called on all parties to return immediately to negotiations, particularly on Iran’s nuclear programme, and appealed to UN member states to uphold international humanitarian law and ensure civilian protection.