United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. File
| Photo Credit: Reuters

UN chief Antonio Guterres called Wednesday for an end to the “sickening cycle of escalation” in the Middle East, while specifically condemning Iran over its latest missile attack after facing harsh criticism from Israel.

The secretary-general was speaking at an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council, called after Iran on Tuesday launched a massive missile barrage at Israel, which has ramped up its offensive against Hezbollah in Lebanon.

Israel-Iran war LIVE

“It is high time to stop the sickening cycle of escalation after escalation that is leading the people of the Middle East straight over the cliff,” the UN chief said.

“This deadly cycle of tit-for-tat violence must stop.”

Israel’s pledge to respond to the Iranian missile attack has raised fears of a spiraling, region-wide war, sending diplomats scrambling for options to de-escalate the situation.

Iran in turn said it would launch an even bigger attack if Israel makes good on its pledge.

Israel shifted its focus last month from the war in Gaza, which was sparked by the October 7 attacks by Iran-backed Hamas, to securing its northern border with Lebanon.

As the Security Council met, Israeli forces were battling Hezbollah militants in Lebanon, following “targeted ground raids” across the border by Israel on Tuesday.

More than 1,000 people have died since last week, in fighting that has included Israeli strikes on Beirut and its southern suburbs.

Israeli Ambassador Danny Danon reiterated his country’s plans to retaliate against the Iranian strike, saying “what happened last night in Israel was not a defensive action,” but rather a “calculated attack.”

Iranian envoy Amir Saeid Iravani meanwhile said “Iran’s response was necessary to restore balance and deterrence.”

The United States said it supports an Israeli retaliatory response on Iran, though President Joe Biden on Wednesday said he would not support a strike by Israel aimed at wiping out Iran’s nuclear facilities.

Persona non grata

Earlier Wednesday, Israel declared Guterres “persona non grata” for failing to specifically condemn Iran’s missile attack when he condemned on Tuesday the “broadening conflict in the Middle East.”

“Anyone who cannot unequivocally condemn Iran’s heinous attack on Israel does not deserve to step foot on Israeli soil,” said Foreign Minister Israel Katz in a statement.

The United States pushed back on Israel’s move, with State Department spokesman Matthew Miller saying it wasn’t a “productive step.”

Guterres addressed the diplomatic dust-up at the Security Council, saying “as should have been obvious yesterday in the context of the condemnation I expressed, I again strongly condemn yesterday’s massive missile attack by Iran on Israel.”

The UN chief also reiterated his call for a ceasefire.

“Since last October, Israel has conducted in Gaza the most deadly and destructive military campaign in my years as secretary-general,” he said.

“Simultaneously armed Palestinian groups have also used violence. Hamas has continued to launch rockets,” he said, adding Iran’s missile attack did “nothing to support the cause of the Palestinian people or reduce their suffering.”

 The Lufthansa group said that it had also decided to “avoid Iranian, Iraqi and Jordanian airspace up to and including 2 October”, adding that “flights will continue to avoid Israeli airspace up to and including 31 October”. File
| Photo Credit: Reuters

Top European airlines Lufthansa, KLM and Swiss on Tuesday (October 1, 2024) announced that they were extending their suspension of flights to the Middle East, as tensions spiral throughout the region.

The moves come as Israel launched strikes on Beirut and a senior White House official warned that Iran was preparing to launch a ballistic missile attack “imminently” against Israel.

Also Read: Iran fires missiles at Israel live updates October 2, 2024

KLM has pushed out until the end of the year the suspension of its once-daily flight to Tel Aviv “given the situation in the region”, spokeswoman Elvira van der Vis told AFP.

The Dutch airline had already announced in August 2024 that it was suspending flights to Israel until October 26, 2024.

Also on Tuesday (October 1, 2024), German airline group Lufthansa said it was suspending flights to Beirut up to and including November 30, 2024. Lufthansa group flights to Tel Aviv will be cancelled until October 31, 2024 while trips to Tehran remain cancelled until October 14, 2024.

“We regret the inconvenience caused to our passengers,” the group said.

Later on Tuesday (October 1, 2024), the Lufthansa group said that it had also decided to “avoid Iranian, Iraqi and Jordanian airspace up to and including 2 October”, adding that “flights will continue to avoid Israeli airspace up to and including 31 October”.

The Lufthansa group — whose carriers also include Swiss International Air Lines, Austrian Airlines and Brussels Airlines — has repeatedly modified its flight schedule in recent months due to heightened tensions in the Middle East, as have other airlines.

Following the example of its parent company, Swiss said the extension of its flight suspensions was “intended to provide more predictability for both our passengers and our crews”.

The Israeli army said it had launched a ground offensive in Lebanon and that its forces engaged in clashes on Tuesday (October 1, 2024), further escalating the conflict after a week of intense air strikes that killed hundreds.

Meanwhile, a senior White House official told AFP on condition of anonymity that the United States has indications that Iran was preparing to launch a missile attack against Israel “imminently”.

“We are actively supporting defensive preparations to defend Israel against this attack,” the official said, warning that such an action would “carry severe consequences for Iran”.

The Iranian missile attack on Israel appears to have been defeated and ineffective, US President Joe Biden said, hours after Tehran fired nearly 200 missiles at Israel.

The Israeli military reportedly said there were no news of injuries from the attack. 

Speaking to reporters at the White House, Mr. Biden said, “At my direction, the United States military actively supported the defence of Israel. We are still assessing the impact but, based on what we know, the attack appears to have been defeated and ineffective and this is a testament to Israeli military capability… (It is) also a testament to intensive planning (between) the United States and Israel to anticipate and defend against a brazen attack.” “Make no mistake, the United States is fully supportive of Israel. And I just spent the morning and part of the afternoon in the situation room, meeting with my whole national security team… The national security team, as I said, is in constant contact with Israeli officials and counterparts…,” he added. 

Mr. Biden directed the U.S. military to aid Israel’s defence against Iranian attacks and shoot down missiles targeting the country, the White House said. 

AP