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

The United Nations Security Council on Thursday (October 3, 2024) expressed its full support for Secretary-General Antonio Guterres after Israel’s foreign minister said he was barring him from entering the country.

The 15-member council said in a statement that “any decision not to engage with the U.N. Secretary-General or the United Nations is counterproductive, especially in the context of escalating tensions in the Middle East.”

The statement did not name Israel. Such statements by the council are agreed by consensus.

Israel’s Foreign Minister said on Wednesday (October 2, 2024) that he was barring U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres from entering the country because he had not “unequivocally” condemned Iran’s missile attack on Israel.

Mr. Guterres on Tuesday (October 1, 2024) issued a brief statement referencing only the “latest attacks in the Middle East” and condemning the conflict “with escalation after escalation”. Earlier on Tuesday (October 1, 2024), Israel had sent troops into south Lebanon.

Earlier Wednesday (October 2, 2024) Israel declared Mr. Guterres “persona non grata” as they think he didn’t specifically condemn Iran’s missile attack when he condemned on Tuesday the “broadening conflict in the Middle East.”

UN chief Antonio Guterres called on Wednesday (October 2, 2024) 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.

Iran launched a wave of missiles into Israel last evening to avenge the killing of top Hezbollah and Hamas leaders as the war in Middle East threatens to snowball into a larger regional conflict. Israelis scrambled for bomb shelters as sirens sounded across the nation and orange streaks lit up the night sky, showed visuals. Israel said they had intercepted most of the missiles and vowed to make Iran “pay” for the attack. Amid claims and counterclaims by Iran and Israel, it is hard to figure out how successful Tuesday’s attacks were and whether Israel will launch an immediate retaliation.

Here are 5 points of what Israel and Iran said about Tuesday’s attacks.

Indians have been asked to avoid travelling to Iran after they launched a massive missile attack on Israel. The government said Indian nationals who are already present in the country must stay vigilant and stay in touch with its embassy in Tehran.

The war situation in the Middle East saw a sharp escalation yesterday after a barrage of hypersonic missiles lit up the night sky above Israel – an offensive that Iran said was to avenge the recent killings of top Hamas and Hezbollah leaders.

The Indian government is closely monitoring the recent escalation in security situation in the region, the foreign ministry said in a statement shared online by spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal.

Travel advisory for Indian nationals regarding Iran:https://t.co/FhUhy3fA5kpic.twitter.com/tPFJXl6tQy

— Randhir Jaiswal (@MEAIndia) October 2, 2024

“Indian nationals are advised to avoid all non-essential travel to Iran. Those currently residing in Iran are requested to remain vigilant and stay in contact with the Indian Embassy in Tehran,” the travel advisory read.

The Indian embassy in Tel Aviv had yesterday asked Indians in the country to excise caution, avoid unnecessary travel and stay close to the safety shelters.

“The Embassy is closely monitoring the situation and remains in regular touch with the Israeli authorities to ensure the safety of all our nationals,” the embassy said in its advisory.

Foreign Minister S Jaishankar yesterday expressed concern at the possibility of the Middle East crisis growing into a larger regional conflict. “We are very much concerned at the possibility of a broadening of the conflict, not just what happened in Lebanon, but also, you know, I referred earlier to the Houthis and the Red Sea, and, you know, to some extent, everything that happens between Iran and Israel,” he said.

Tuesday’s attack marked a massive escalation in the Israel-Iran ties that had worsened after the October 7 Hamas attacks. Iran backs the Hamas and the Palestinian cause. Israel is also fighting the Iran-backed Hezbollah, which runs Lebanon.