UN chief reiterates 'urgent' demand for deescalation in Middle East

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres reiterated his "urgent" demand for a deescalation in the Middle East, his spokesperson said Tuesday.

"The secretary general's position is one he stated very clearly on Sunday in his call for maximum restraint. We do not want to see another cycle of eye for an eye, which is not a policy that will lead to peace," spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said at a news conference.

Dujarric said Guterres spoke Monday to Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian and is in contact with Israeli President Isaac Herzog and other Israeli officials.

Guterres "called for the urgent deescalation of the situation and a renewed focus on bringing peace to the Middle East," added Dujarric.

Iran launched a barrage of drones and missiles against Israel on Saturday in an attack Tehran said was in response to an April 1 onslaught on its consulate in Syria, in which at least 13 people were killed, including seven military advisers.

Israel has vowed to respond to the Iranian attack.

The two countries are regional foes with decades of hostility and mutual accusations of conducting attacks.