John Swinnney: 'World must pull itself back from the brink'

The Herald Scotland

5 hours ago

He said he agreed with the UN Secretary General on the need for an end to the conflict through diplomacy.
Mr Swinney said: 'The conflict in the Middle East has escalated to an intensely more dangerous and alarming level as a result of the US intervention overnight, which risks spiralling into disaster for the region and the wider world.
'The world finds itself at a profoundly dangerous moment and must pull itself back from the brink.'
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He added: 'It is vital that the UK Government takes any and all steps it can through diplomatic channels to insist upon that. We also call on Iran to return to negotiations.'
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said earlier on Sunday he was "gravely alarmed by the use of force" by the United States against Iran.
'This is a dangerous escalation in a region already on the edge – and a direct threat to international peace and security," he said.
He added that there is a 'growing risk' that this conflict could 'rapidly get out of control – with catastrophic consequences for civilians, the region, and the world'.
Mr Guterres called on member states to 'de-escalate' and 'uphold their obligations under the UN Charter and other rules of international law'.
He said: 'At this perilous hour, it is critical to avoid a spiral of chaos. There is no military solution. The only path forward is diplomacy. The only hope is peace.'
The First Minister's response to the developments in the Middle East came after Sir Keir Starmer urged Iran to return to negotiations.
UK minister Douglas Alexander said the Government 'has been putting contingencies in place' as the region braces for any potential retaliation from Iran.
US President Donald Trump said early on Sunday that three key nuclear sites in Iran were 'completely and fully obliterated' in the military strikes.
The US is thought to have used B-2 stealth bombers to drop bunker-busting munitions on the sites – including the deeply-buried Fordo facility – as well as 30 Tomahawk cruise missiles launched from submarines.
The US-UK base at Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean is not thought to have been used in the operation.
The Prime Minister had earlier said Iran should 'return to the negotiating table', noting the region remains 'volatile'.
He said: 'Iran's nuclear programme is a grave threat to international security.
'Iran can never be allowed to develop a nuclear weapon and the US has taken action to alleviate that threat.'
Former Scottish first minister Humza Yousaf was critical of the Prime Minister's response.
He posted on social media: 'An awful statement from the PM, which ignores our collective responsibility to uphold international law.
'Supporting illegal military action in Iran, and gas-lighting us about an imminent nuclear threat, is hauntingly reminiscent of the lies told in the run up to the Iraq war.'
During a protest march in London, Mr Yousaf had earlier accused the UK Government of 'abusing' anti-terror laws against the Palestine Action group, which vandalised two aircraft at RAF Brize Norton.
Trade policy minister Mr Alexander, who is the MP for Lothian East and a former international development minister, spoke to the BBC's Sunday Show.
He said: 'I understand that people have woken up this morning to the news that was breaking overnight with a real sense of concern.
'I want to assure your viewers that the British Government has been putting contingencies in place.
'There have been a whole series of meetings, I and other have been attending Cobra meetings in the course of the week.'
He said plans are being put in place to move UK nationals in affected countries to safety, stressing the UK 'took no part in this military action'.