The Security Council holds an emergency session, and Guterres warns of a "spiral of retaliation" in the Middle East.

The UN Security Council will hold an emergency session on Sunday evening to discuss the serious repercussions of the US military strikes on nuclear facilities in Iran, amid international calls for an immediate end to the escalation.

In his opening remarks to the Council, UN Secretary-General António Guterres made an urgent appeal, warning that the region was on the brink of catastrophe. "We risk slipping into a spiral of retaliation, and the people of the region cannot afford another cycle of destruction," Guterres said.

The Secretary-General stressed the need for immediate and decisive action by the international community to contain the crisis. He added, "We must act immediately and decisively to stop the fighting and return to serious negotiations on Iran's nuclear program."

Guterres reiterated the fundamental principles that must govern the current phase, saying: "Diplomacy must prevail, civilians must be protected, and the safety of maritime navigation must be ensured."

The session is expected to witness divergent positions from member states, particularly between the United States and its allies on the one hand, and Russia and China on the other, as the region and the world await the outcome of this emergency meeting to determine the course of the crisis.

Guterres said: "I call on Tehran to allow IAEA inspectors to assess the damage at the sites."