UN chief voices concern over rising number of civilians killed amid Middle East military escalation

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is "particularly concerned" over the rising number of civilians killed as military strikes continue across the Middle East, his spokesperson said on Monday.

"The Secretary General is particularly concerned about the growing number of civilians we are seeing being killed and the destruction of civilian infrastructure," Guterres' spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said at a news conference, stressing the need to protect civilians and civilian infrastructure "at all times.

"The expansion of attacks to countries that were not involved in the initial attack is, according to the secretary-general, particularly worrying, whether we're talking about Gulf countries, Jordan, Syria, or Lebanon," Dujarric added.

Warning of the increasing risk of "humanitarian fallout in the region," Dujarric said the UN chief "calls for de-escalation, an immediate cessation of hostilities, and genuine dialogue and negotiations in line with the charter of the United Nations."

In reference to earlier remarks by Guterres, who warned on Saturday that ongoing military action in the region carried the risk of "igniting a chain of events that no one can control," Dujarric said: "We are at a risk where there is zero room for miscalculation."

The US and Israel launched a large-scale attack on Iran on Saturday, killing several top Iranian leaders, including Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

In response, Tehran has retaliated with drone and missile strikes targeting Israel as well as regional countries which are home to US assets.