UNITED NATIONS, Thursday, May 08, 2025 (WNP): United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres on Thursday renewed his call for immediate de-escalation between India and Pakistan, warning that the world cannot risk another conflict between the two nuclear-armed neighbors.

Responding to questions at the daily press briefing at UN Headquarters in New York, UN Deputy Spokesperson Farhan Aziz Haq reiterated the Secretary-General’s concern over the mounting tensions. “Our message remains consistent with what the Secretary-General stated earlier this week – the world cannot afford another conflict between India and Pakistan,” Haq said.

He added that Guterres had offered his good offices for mediation and urged both sides to show “maximum restraint” in order to prevent further deterioration of the situation.

The UN’s appeal comes amid heightened regional tensions, which have sparked alarm among world powers.

In a parallel diplomatic development, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio held telephone conversations with Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and India’s External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar—the second such outreach since Monday.

According to the U.S. State Department, Rubio emphasized “the need for immediate de-escalation” and expressed strong American support for direct dialogue between New Delhi and Islamabad. “He encouraged both parties to maintain open lines of communication and pursue all efforts to defuse tensions,” the department said in separate readouts.

Meanwhile, U.S. President Donald Trump also weighed in on Wednesday, urging both nations to “step back” from confrontation and exercise restraint in the face of escalating hostilities.

The flurry of diplomatic activity underscores growing international anxiety over the situation in South Asia, where any miscalculation could have catastrophic consequences.