The Saudi ambassador to the UK has warned that the Middle East is at its highest risk of regional war since 1973.
Speaking on Sky News' The World with Yalda Hakim, Prince Khalid bin Bandar stressed the need for "renewed efforts" to end the ongoing violence.
Prince Khalid admitted his lack of optimism, noting, "The situation on the ground is getting worse and worse ... I think this is the closest we’ve been to a regional war since 1973."
He pointed out that the Israel-Palestine conflict is central to these tensions and emphasised that both sides must work to prevent further escalation.
"This conflict affects people worldwide like few others," he said.
The ambassador called for the international community to increase its efforts to stop the fighting.
He warned, "A conflict that spreads beyond where it is, spreads to the region. If it spreads to the region, it spreads to the world, and that’s not a scenario that anybody wants to see."
His remarks come amid Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant's announcement of a "new phase" in the fight against Hezbollah, following the detonation of the group’s communication devices.
Meanwhile, Hezbollah has pledged to retaliate, with recent attacks causing over 30 deaths and thousands of injuries.
