Israel Declares UN Chief ‘Persona Non Grata’ Over Iran Attack Response

Israel declares UN Secretary-General ‘Persona Non Grata’ following his response to Iran’s recent attacks. Discover the diplomatic tensions and their implications on international relations.

On Wednesday, Israel labeled UN chief Antonio Guterres as “persona non grata,” accusing him of not explicitly denouncing Iran’s missile strike on the country.

“Anyone who cannot unambiguously denounce Iran’s atrocious attack on Israel is not worthy of setting foot on Israeli soil,” said Foreign Minister Israel Katz in a statement.

“He is an anti-Israel Secretary-General who supports terrorists, rapists, and murderers,” he said.

Katz remarked that Guterres, whom he accused of supporting “the murderers of Hamas, Hezbollah, the Huthis, and now Iran—the mothership of global terror—will be remembered as a stain on UN history for generations to come.”

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After Iran’s missile attack on Israel late Tuesday, Guterres condemned the “broadening conflict in the Middle East,” denouncing continuous “escalation after escalation” in the region.

“This must stop. We urgently need a ceasefire,” stated Guterres.

Israel has consistently criticized the United Nations, and relations between the state and the international organization further deteriorated following the Hamas attacks on October 7.

Guterres has consistently urged for a ceasefire to bring an end to the hostilities in both Gaza and Lebanon.