United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned on Thursday (April 2) that the Middle East was on the brink of a wider war, urging the U.S. and Israel to halt a conflict he said was inflicting immense human suffering and risking serious economic damage worldwide.

At U.N. headquarters, Guterres said the crisis had entered its second month, with civilian suffering, destruction and threats to regional and global stability worsening by the day. He also called on Iran to stop attacking its neighbors and warned that any sustained disruption to freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz would raise food and energy costs, hitting the world's poorest countries.

"We are on the edge of a wider war that would engulf the whole Middle East with dramatic impacts around the globe," Guterres said.

He said diplomatic efforts were underway to find a peaceful solution and announced he was dispatching his personal envoy, Jean Arnault, to the region to support those efforts.

DESCRIPCIÓN DE IMÁGENES

1. U.N. SECRETARY-GENERAL, ANTONIO GUTERRES, APPROACHING LECTERN AT U.N. SECURITY COUNCIL STAKEOUT POSITION

(SOUNDBITE) (English) U.N. SECRETARY-GENERAL, ANTONIO GUTERRES, SAYING:

"The Middle East crisis has lurched into its second month. Every day this war continues, human suffering grows. The scale of devastation grows. Indiscriminate attacks grow. The targeting of civilians and civilian infrastructure grows. And the perils to our world grow. We are on the edge of a wider war that would engulf the whole Middle East with dramatic impacts around the globe. The conflict is already being felt everywhere. Look no further than the impact of the denial of freedom of navigation. When the Strait of Hormuz is strangled, the world’s poorest and most vulnerable cannot breathe. We see it in the daily lives of people struggling with rising food and energy costs from the Philippines, to Sri Lanka, to Mozambique, to communities far beyond. Many aspects of the conflict may be uncertain, but one thing is not: If the drums of war keep beating, escalation will only make all of this worse. The spiral of death and destruction must stop. Diplomatic efforts are underway to find a peaceful path forward. They deserve the space and support to succeed - anchored firmly in international law, including the U.N. Charter. Disputes must be settled peacefully. The sovereignty and territorial integrity of all member states must be respected. Civilians and civilian infrastructure, including nuclear installations, must be respected and protected. And freedom of navigation must be upheld. I remain in close contact with the parties -- and am dispatching my Personal Envoy Jean Arnault to the region to support these efforts. We must find a peaceful way out. My message is clear: To the United States and Israel, it is high time to stop the war that is inflicting immense human suffering and already triggering devastating economic consequences. To Iran, to stop attacking their neighbors. The Security Council has condemned these attacks and reaffirmed the need to respect navigational rights and freedoms along critical maritime routes, including the Strait of Hormuz. Conflicts do not end on their own. They end when leaders choose dialogue over destruction. That choice still exists and must be made now. Thank you."