UN Chief Guterres warns of 'full fire' in West Asia, urges diplomacy

UN's Antonio Guterres urges diplomacy in West Asia, warning a 'lesser-fire' could escalate. The call comes as US CENTCOM strikes targets in Iran, which retaliated by targeting US-linked bases and claiming to close the Strait of Hormuz.

UN Chief Calls for Diplomacy

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Thursday called all parties to pursue diplomacy for peace in the West Asia region after repeated attacks have put the ceasefire in peril.

In a post on X, Antonio Guterres said, "The Middle East is being pulled deeper into crisis & 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." The Middle East is being pulled deeper into crisis & 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.… — António Guterres (@antonioguterres) June 11, 2026

Tensions Escalate Amid US-Iran Strikes

US Conducts 'Self-Defence Strikes' in Iran

Amid a rapidly evolving situation in West Asia and the Gulf region, Kuwait, Jordan and Bahrain issued alerts as air defence systems intercept aerial targets.

This comes after the CENTCOM announced in the early hours of Thursday that it carried out additional "self-defence strikes" against multiple targets in Iran, June 10, at the Commander in Chief's direction. According to CENTCOM, these were launched against Iranian military surveillance capabilities, communication systems, and air defence sites across Iran.

Dispute Over Strait of Hormuz Closure

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. 🚫 CLAIM: Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps claims that the Strait of Hormuz is closed. ✅ TRUTH: Commercial ships are continuing to transit in and out of the Strait of Hormuz tonight. pic.twitter.com/yphkl2Lmji — U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) June 10, 2026

Iran Vows Retaliation

Citing Iran's IRGC, Al Jazeera further said 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 US, vowing to turn the region into "hell: if the US continues to threaten the security of the Strait of Hormuz. (ANI)

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)