UN chief urges parties to 'give peace a chance' on Israel-Iran conflicts

U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres pleaded Friday with all sides to "give peace a chance" in the Iran-Israel conflict, warning that the violence could spiral out of control.

"To the parties to the conflict -- the potential parties to the conflict -- and to the Security Council as the representative of the international community, I have a simple and clear message: Give peace a chance," Guterres said in a veiled reference to the United States, which is considering intervening militarily to support Israel.

The meeting was summoned to discuss the Israel-Iran conflict. 

Read more: Explosions reported in Haifa, Beersheba, and Jerusalem as Iran launches retaliatory strikes

Iran launched a fresh round of retaliatory missile and drone strikes against Israel on Friday evening, with reported impacts near Haifa and north of Beersheba, while explosions were also heard in Jerusalem. Israeli authorities ordered residents to seek shelter as the attacks unfolded.

The escalation follows recent Israeli strikes on Iranian soil, which Tehran has condemned as unprovoked aggression, asserting that it had no choice but to defend its sovereignty and security.

As part of its response, Iran targeted locations within the occupied Palestinian territories, framing the attacks as necessary retaliation against what it described as criminal actions by the Zionist regime.