With Israel and Iran still trading missile strikes, President Irfaan Ali not only decried this state of affairs on Monday, but also stressed that the world cannot afford to have another war. During the 77th anniversary of the Enmore Martyrs, the Head of State said he could not help but reflect on this matter as fuel prices are already on the rise.
According to the BBC, Israel attacked Iran on June 15, specifically hitting nuclear and military sites. Iran retaliated with more than 100 aerial strikes. Guyana standard understands that more than 220 people have been killed in Israeli strikes so far, while Israel says Iranian attacks have killed 24 people.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the attack – called Operation Rising Lion – targeted “the heart” of Iran’s nuclear programme. He claimed that “if not stopped, Iran could produce a nuclear weapon in a very short time”.
Reflecting on this development, President Ali said, “Guyana, as the President of the United Nations Security Council, is once again placed in a seat of leadership…every citizen in this family of humanity must understand the consequences of what is taking place in Iran and Israel.
“If we do not understand the consequential effects of what is taking place, we will all contribute to our collective failure in saving our world and saving humanity…”
It is with this understanding in mind that Ali said Guyana made a call at the United Nations Security Council for both parties to respect international conventions, international law and international order, and in the interest of the family of humanity, to negotiate to end the destruction of property and life.
“We cannot afford another war and more so, as I speak to you today… the price of fuel has already increased by more than 8%… more than 30 million people will go into chronic hunger,” said the President.
If the conflict between Israel and Iran worsens, Ali cautioned that the price for basic food items such as cereal will skyrocket, leaving many consumers to face further hardships.
