New York: The United Nations Security Council expressed its full support for Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Thursday after Israel declared him persona non grata, barring his entry into the country.

According to Burkina Information Agency, the Security Council emphasized that member countries must maintain constructive relations with the Secretary-General and not engage in actions that undermine his work or the office he represents. The statement stressed that refusal to cooperate with Guterres is counterproductive, particularly at a time when tensions in the Middle East are escalating.

The diplomatic fallout came after Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz banned Guterres from entering Israel, accusing him of failing to condemn Tehran's bombing of the country. Katz argued that "anyone who is unable to unequivocally condemn Iran's criminal attack on Israel does not deserve to set foot on the land of the Jewish state."