António Guterres warns conflict is spiraling "into an ever-widening circle of confrontation"

U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres told the Security Council on Thursday that the ongoing hostilities between U.S.-led forces and Iranian-backed Houthi rebels are spiraling, with each strike triggering another. His warning comes as the U.S. military launched its 13th round of strikes against Iran, after Houthi rebels claimed attacks on two Saudi oil tankers in the Red Sea. The conflict has disrupted shipping through the Strait of Hormuz and the Bab el-Mandeb strait, driving global oil prices above $100 a barrel. President Donald Trump has threatened “major military punishment” against Iran and the Houthis. Guterres urged stronger mediation efforts and said diplomacy is the only solution as the crisis threatens to engulf the region.