UN warns Middle East war global economy risk as fighting between US, Israel and Iran escalates and threatens oil supply routes
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres warned on Friday, 7 March 2026, in New York that the escalating conflict across the Middle East risks spiralling beyond control and threatening the global economy as military strikes between the United States, Israel and Iran entered a seventh day.
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In a statement published on the UN website, Guterres said the widening hostilities were already inflicting severe harm on civilians across the region and posed serious economic dangers worldwide.
“All the unlawful attacks in the Middle East and beyond are causing tremendous suffering and harm to civilians throughout the region and pose a grave risk to the global economy, particularly to the most vulnerable people,” Guterres said.
“The situation could spiral beyond anyone’s control. It is time to stop the fighting and get to serious diplomatic negotiations.”
The Middle East war global economy risk has become a growing concern for international leaders as the conflict spreads across multiple fronts, raising fears of disruptions to energy supplies, global trade routes and humanitarian operations.
Senior UN humanitarian officials echoed the warning, describing the crisis as a dangerous turning point.
The UN Emergency Relief Coordinator, Tom Fletcher, said the world was entering “a moment of grave peril” as resources increasingly shift towards military operations while humanitarian programmes remain severely underfunded.
Fletcher warned that disruptions to vital maritime routes could trigger global ripple effects, including rising food prices, strained health systems and complications for humanitarian aid delivery.
“What we need is de-escalation and immediate cessation of hostilities, genuine dialogue and negotiations in line with the Charter of the United Nations. We need calmer heads to prevail,” he said.
The United Nations refugee agency has declared the expanding conflict a major humanitarian emergency requiring coordinated regional response, while UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk cautioned that the violence risks spreading further beyond the initial parties.
The crisis is also affecting global shipping lanes, particularly the Strait of Hormuz, the strategic waterway at the entrance to the Persian Gulf through which roughly one-fifth of the world’s oil supply passes.
Arsenio Dominguez, Secretary-General of the International Maritime Organization, said the strait had effectively become unsafe due to the threat of military strikes.
A tugboat assisting another vessel in the corridor was struck on Friday morning, killing four seafarers.
Dominguez warned that nearly 3,000 vessels and about 20,000 seafarers were currently stranded in the region, raising fears of serious knock-on effects for the global energy market and international trade.
He urged countries involved in the crisis to pursue dialogue and diplomatic engagement to restore safe navigation in the area.
Meanwhile, Iran’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Amir Iravani, told reporters outside the Security Council that Tehran does not seek further escalation but would defend its sovereignty.
“Iran does not seek war or escalation but Iran will never surrender its sovereignty,” Iravani said, calling on UN member states to condemn what he described as aggression against the Iranian people.
Humanitarian conditions across the region continue to deteriorate as the conflict intensifies. In Lebanon, evacuation orders and airstrikes have triggered fresh waves of displacement, while in Gaza civilians remain exposed to shelling and gunfire.
According to UN spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric, the Kerem Shalom crossing remains open for approved humanitarian supplies, but other crossings, including Rafah, remain closed, limiting aid access and medical evacuations.
Aid agencies operating in Gaza are prioritising emergency health care, trauma treatment, maternal services and disease control amid severe fuel shortages.
In the West Bank, expanded checkpoint closures and rising settler violence have further restricted Palestinian access to basic services and livelihoods.
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UN officials said humanitarian teams continue working across the region despite the worsening security environment, while global pressure grows for an immediate ceasefire and a return to urgent diplomatic negotiations.
