United Nations (UN) Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said on Thursday that there are "reasonable grounds" to believe that both sides in the US-Israeli conflict with Iran may have committed war crimes, as attacks and retaliatory strikes on energy facilities intensify, Politiko reports.
Speaking exclusively to Politico during a visit to Brussels ahead of Thursday's European Council summit, Guterres said: "If there are attacks either on Iran or from Iran on energy infrastructure, I think there are reasonable grounds to believe that they could constitute a war crime."
Israel attacked Iran's South Pars gas field on Wednesday, followed by Tehran retaliating with a strike on a major energy complex in Qatar. Guterres also said the growing number of civilian casualties leaves both sides in the conflict open to possible war crimes charges.
"I don't see any difference. It doesn't matter who is targeting civilians. It's completely unacceptable," he said.
Representatives of the governments of the United States (US) and Israel did not immediately respond to requests for comment on Guterres' statements, according to Politico.
America and Israel began a bombing campaign on February 28, killing Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and prompting continued retaliatory missile and drone attacks by Tehran on targets across the Middle East.
After calling for de-escalation in the region, Guterres appeared to blame Israel for the further spread of the conflict and called on US President Donald Trump to convince Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu to end it, according to Politico.
"The war must stop... and I believe it is in the hands of the United States to stop it. It is possible (to end the war), but it depends on the political will to do so," Guterres told host Anne McElvoy in an episode of the "EU Confidential" podcast, which will be released Friday morning.
"I am convinced that Israel, as a strategy, wants to achieve the complete destruction of Iran's military capability and regime change. And I believe that Iran has a strategy to resist for as long as possible and to inflict as much damage as possible. Therefore, the key to solving the problem is for the United States to decide to declare that its job is done. President Trump will be able to convince... those who need to be convinced that the job is done. That the war can be ended," Guterres added.
The UN Secretary-General also attributed America's decision to launch attacks on Iran to Israel.
"I have no doubt that this was something that fit the Israeli strategy... to drag the US into war. That goal was achieved. But it is creating enormous suffering in Iran, (as well as) in the region, and even in Israel itself. And it is causing a devastating impact on the global economy, the consequences of which are still too early to predict. That is why we absolutely must end this conflict," he said.
But finding a way out could prove difficult, and relations between the United Nations and the Trump administration remain frosty.
Asked if he had spoken to Trump since the conflict began three weeks ago, Guterres replied firmly: "No, no, no... I'm talking to those I need to talk to. But this is not a soap opera."
Still, he claimed he had "been in touch with all parties," including the Trump administration, since hostilities spread across the Gulf.
"It is vital for the world as a whole that this war ends quickly. This is truly spiraling out of control, and the recent attacks represent an escalation that is extremely dangerous," Guterres said.
Trump wrote on his Twitter account that the US did not authorize the Israeli attack on the South Pars site and that Israel "reacted violently," raising questions about how much influence the US has over its ally, Politico reports.
"I hope the US can understand that this has gone too far," Guterres said.
Guterres added that the conflict primarily benefits Russia, as Moscow welcomes the distraction from its war in Ukraine.
"Russia is the biggest beneficiary of the Iranian crisis. Russia is the country that gains the most from what is happening in this terrible catastrophe. Russia is already a winner," Guterres said.
Meanwhile, European leaders, including British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, said they would not send ships to the Persian Gulf in response to Trump's call for help to open the Strait of Hormuz. France said it would contribute support ships "only when the situation calms down."
Guterres praised the Europeans' restraint, despite Trump's anger over their refusal to actively support the war or help reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a key maritime artery that Iran has largely closed, raising global energy prices.
"I think those countries assessed the situation themselves and I believe they made the decision not to get too involved, knowing that the most important goal is de-escalation," he said.
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