United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Thursday called on all parties to pursue diplomacy for peace in the West Asia region after repeated attacks have put the ceasefire in peril.
Guterres' Warning on Escalation
In a post on X, Guterres stated: "The Middle East is being pulled deeper into crisis and the consequences reach far beyond the region. This week has brought wider attacks and further deterioration where the ceasefire is more like a lesser-fire. We should not minimize the risks of lesser fire becoming full fire. All parties must work towards a diplomatic settlement. No more attacks. No more excuses."
Regional Alerts and Air Defenses
Amid a rapidly evolving situation in West Asia and the Gulf region, Kuwait, Jordan, and Bahrain issued alerts as air defense systems intercepted aerial targets.
US Strikes on Iran
This comes after the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) announced in the early hours of Thursday that it carried out additional "self-defense strikes" against multiple targets in Iran on June 10, at the Commander in Chief's direction. According to CENTCOM, these were launched against Iranian military surveillance capabilities, communication systems, and air defense sites across Iran.
Strait of Hormuz Closure Claim
The key developments come as Iranian officials announced the closure of the Strait of Hormuz in response to American strikes. However, CENTCOM issued a fact-check stating that commercial ships are continuing to transit in and out of the Strait of Hormuz.
Iranian Retaliation Threats
Citing Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), Al Jazeera reported that 18 "important" US military-related sites were targeted, including the Ali Al-Salem and Ahmed Al-Jaber bases in Kuwait, and Sheikh Isa Air Base in Bahrain, as part of its response operations to US attacks. As tensions escalate, Press TV reported that IRGC's Commander General Sayed Majid Mousavi warned the US, vowing to turn the region into "hell" if the US continues to threaten the security of the Strait of Hormuz.
