UN chief warns of ‘assault on international law’ amid Mideast crisis: lauds Pakistan's pro-peace role

UNITED NATIONS, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 15th Apr, 2026) UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres Tuesday warned that respect for international law is being “trampled”, urging further negotiations between the United States and Iran over ending the US-Israel war on the Islamic Republic and extending the fragile ceasefire as needed.

Speaking to reporters at UN Headquarters in New York, Guterres said he just spoke to Pakistan's Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Ishaq Dar and that the "indication we have is that it is highly probable that these talks will restart."

He said he expressed his "enormous admiration to Pakistan for the very important initiative that Pakistan has been assuming in order to bring peace to the middle East."

The UN chief said the theme of upholding international law would be a central theme of his visit this week to the UN’s highest tribunal in the Hague – the International Court of Justice (ICJ).

The crisis in the Middle East has caused death and devastation across the region, blocked shipping through the Strait of Hormuz –crucial for global trade in fuel, fertilizer and gas, and left thousands of workers stranded in vessels on the high seas.

“Justice is meant to be blind. But today, too many are choosing to turn a blind eye to justice itself,” the UN chief said.

“Around the world – and starkly in the Middle East – respect for international law is being trampled.”

Guterres insisted that “this is not the moment to retreat from international law. It is the moment to reaffirm it.

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The ICJ – also known as the World Court – marks its 80th anniversary this week.

The UN’s principal judicial organ is a pillar of the international legal order and it “has fulfilled that role with distinction” over this period.

However, his visit “is not simply about commemorating an anniversary. It is about sending an unmistakable message,” he said.

“A message that the United Nations stands firmly behind the institutions and principles designed to protect peace, justice, sovereignty and human dignity,” he continued.

“A message that international law applies to all States, without exception, and that respect for its rules is not optional. A message that in a world moving toward greater fragmentation and sharper power competition, international law is indispensable.”

The Secretary-General warned that “without it, instability spreads, mistrust deepens, and conflicts spiral out of control” – a situation that applies everywhere, but urgently to the conflict in the Middle East.

He repeated his position that there is no military solution to the crisis, adding that peace agreements require persistent engagement and political will.

Guterres stressed that serious negotiations must resume, while international navigational rights and freedoms – including in the Strait of Hormuz – must be respected by all parties.

“It is time for restraint and responsibility,” he said.

“It is time for diplomacy over escalation. It is time for a renewed commitment to international law.”