New Delhi has blamed Islamabad for backing a deadly attack on tourists on the Indian side of the disputed region of Kashmir last month, sparking a series of heated threats and diplomatic tit-for-tat measures.
On Monday the Pakistan military said it had conducted a second missile test since the standoff began.
Relations have reached "a boiling point," Guterres told reporters in New York, adding that they were at their "highest in years."
He again condemned the April 22 attack in Pahalgam that killed 26 people, calling for those responsible to be brought to justice through "credible and lawful means."
"It is also essential -- especially at this critical hour -- to avoid a military confrontation that could easily spin out of control," the secretary-general warned.
"Now is the time for maximum restraint and stepping back from the brink."
Pakistan and India -- carved out of the subcontinent at the bloody end of British rule in 1947 -- have fought multiple wars and remain bitter foes.
International pressure has been piled on both New Delhi and Islamabad to de-escalate.
No group has claimed responsibility for the attack in Kashmir, where rebels have waged an insurgency since 1989.
Pakistan has denied any involvement and called for an independent probe.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has given his military "full operational freedom" to respond and Islamabad has warned it will hit back against any aggression.
The UN Security Council was due to meet behind closed doors later Monday at Pakistan's request over the crisis.
Kremlin calls for de-escalation in India-Pakistan tensions
Moscow (AFP) May 5, 2025 -
The Kremlin on Monday called for de-escalation between India and Pakistan, as tensions between the two nuclear-armed neighbours flare following last month's deadly attack on tourists in the Indian-administered side of the contested Kashmir region.
New Delhi has blamed Islamabad for the April 22 attack in Pahalgam that killed 26 people, sparking a series of heated threats and diplomatic tit-for-tat measures.
"We hope that the parties will be able to take measures (...) that will reduce tensions," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters, adding that "we are following with great concern the tense atmosphere that has developed on the border."
Russian President Vladimir Putin told Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi during a phone call on Monday that the "particularly privileged partnership" between Moscow and Delhi was "not subject to external influence and continues to develop dynamically in all areas", the Kremlin said in a statement.
Moscow last week said it was ready to mediate after Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov held calls with both sides last week.
The Pakistan military said on Monday it had conducted a second missile test since the stand-off began.
Russia has historically had close ties to India, dating back to the Soviet Union, and is the country's biggest weapons supplier.
"India is our strategic partner. Pakistan is also our partner. We value our relations with both Delhi and Islamabad," Peskov said.
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