Iran-Israel war must not become refugee crisis: United Nations
GENEVA - The United Nations said on Saturday the Iran-Israel war must not be allowed to trigger another refugee crisis in the Middle East, saying once people fled there was no quick way back.
UNHCR, the UN's refugee agency, said the intensity of the attacks between the two sides was already triggering population movements in both countries.
Such movements had already been reported from Tehran and other parts of Iran, it said, with some people crossing into neighbouring countries.
Strikes in Israel had caused people to seek shelter elsewhere in the country and in some cases abroad.
"This region has already endured more than its share of war, loss and displacement. We cannot allow another refugee crisis to take root," said Filippo Grandi, the UN high commissioner for refugees.
"The time to de-escalate is right now. Once people are forced to flee, there's no quick way back -- and all too often, the consequences last for generations."
Israel said on Saturday it had launched fresh air strikes against missile storage and launch sites in central Iran.
Iran has responded with barrages which Israeli authorities say have killed at least 25 people.
Iran hosts the largest number of refugees in the world -- around 3.5 million -- mostly of them from Afghanistan.
If the conflict persists, Iran's existing refugee populations would also face renewed uncertainty and yet more hardship, UNHCR said.
The agency called for an urgent de-escalation in the conflict and urged countries in the region to respect the right of people to seek safety.
The Israeli government says the unprecedented wave of attacks it has launched at Iran since June 13 is aimed at preventing its rival from developing nuclear weapons -- an ambition Tehran strongly denies.
Israel has maintained ambiguity about its own atomic arsenal, neither officially confirming nor denying it exists, but the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute says it has 90 nuclear warheads.
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TimesLIVE
38 minutes ago
- TimesLIVE
Trump says Israel-Iran ceasefire in effect, please don't violate it
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Iran's UN mission and the Israeli embassy in Washington did not respond to separate requests for comment from Reuters. Hours earlier, three Israeli officials signalled Israel was looking to wrap up its campaign in Iran soon and had passed the message to the US. Netanyahu had told government ministers whose discussions ended early on Tuesday not to speak publicly, Israel's Channel 12 television reported. Markets reacted favourably to the news. S&P 500 futures rose 0.4% late on Monday, suggesting traders expect the US stock market to open with gains on Tuesday. US crude futures fell in early Asian trading hours on Tuesday to their lowest level in more than a week after Trump said a ceasefire had been agreed, relieving worries of supply disruption in the region. Earlier on Monday, Trump said he would encourage Israel to proceed towards peace after dismissing Iran's attack on an American airbase that caused no injuries and thanking Tehran for early notice of the strikes. 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IOL News
an hour ago
- IOL News
Ramaphosa voices concerns over US role in escalating Iran-Israel conflict
President Cyril Ramaphosa is grappling with a diplomatic solution to the Iran-Israel war. Image: GCIS As the world grapples with the escalating conflict between Iran and Israel, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has issued a cautious statement calling for dialogue and peaceful resolution. The statement, released on Sunday, reflects the country's delicate diplomatic position, given its warm relations with Iran and its history of criticising Israel's actions in Gaza. Ramaphosa's statement expressed "anxiety" over the US involvement in the conflict, urging President Donald Trump to use his influence to prevail on the parties to pursue a dialogue path. 'President Cyril Ramaphosa and the South African government have noted with a great deal of anxiety the entry by the United States of America into the Israel-Iran war," the statement read. 'It was South Africa's sincerest hope that President Donald Trump would use his influence and that of the US government to prevail on the parties to pursue a dialogue path in resolving their issues of dispute. 'South Africa calls on the United States, Israel, and Iran to give the United Nations the opportunity and space to lead on the peaceful resolution of the matters of dispute, including the inspection and verification of Iran's status of uranium enrichment, as well as its broader nuclear capacity,' the statement reads. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. 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Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Next Stay Close ✕ South Africa's response to the conflict is complicated by its relations with Iran and Israel. As a fellow BRICS member, South Africa has warm diplomatic relations with Iran. 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In a televised address to the nation from the White House, Trump warned that the US would go after more targets if Iran did not make peace quickly. Condemning the US attacks as "lawless and criminal," Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said his country has a right to defend its sovereignty. "The events this morning are outrageous and will have everlasting consequences," he posted on X. "Iran reserves all options to defend its sovereignty, interest, and people." Not long after, sirens sounded in Tel Aviv and explosions were heard from Jerusalem as Iranian state TV announced a fresh salvo of missiles launched. Cape Argus
IOL News
an hour ago
- IOL News
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