New York, June 22 -- United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres made an impassioned plea for peace during an emergency special session of the Security Council at UN Headquarters in New York on Sunday (local time), urging immediate action to de-escalate the crisis in Iran following the US's recent military strikes on the Islamic Republic's nuclear facilities.

"We cannot - and must not - give up on peace," Guterres said, calling for urgent efforts to prevent dangers of retaliation and deeper conflict in the region.

Addressing the session under the agenda item "threats to international peace and security", Guterres warned that the US's attack on Iran was a "perilous turn" to the deteriorating situation in the region.

"Two days ago,...