In the latest escalation in Syria, the Pentagon says a U.S. fighter jet shot down an Iranian-made armed drone on Tuesday, only days after the U.S. shot down a Syrian warplane on Sunday. The Pentagon claims the drone was flying toward U.S.-backed Syrian fighters. Russian officials have threatened to target U.S. planes flying west of the Euphrates River. Tuesday’s downing of the drone is sparking increasing fears of the possibility of a direct confrontation between the U.S. and Russia in Syria. This is United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres.

Secretary-General António Guterres: “I am concerned, even if there were some declarations more recently that gave us the idea that there should be, that there would be a de-escalation of this situation. And I strongly hope that there will be a de-escalation of the situation, because these kind of incidents can be very dangerous in a conflict situation in which there are so many actors and in which the situation is so complex on the ground. So, indeed, I am concerned, and I hope that this will not lead to any escalation of a conflict that is already as dramatic as it is.”