Note: Single-source report; awaiting corroboration.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres expressed deep concern over escalating military tensions in the Middle East amid US and Iranian strikes near the Strait of Hormuz, a vital maritime route for oil and gas exports. The conflict has disrupted an interim truce established by a Memorandum of Understanding signed in June by both countries. The agreement aimed to halt hostilities that began after US-Israeli attacks on Iran and subsequent Iranian counterstrikes across the Gulf region.
Mr. Guterres called on all parties to take immediate steps toward de-escalation and to resume dialogue and diplomacy, according to UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric. He warned that renewed full-scale conflict would impose an intolerable toll on civilians and could have catastrophic consequences for international peace, security, and the global economy.
The Secretary-General also emphasized the need to fully restore international navigational rights and freedoms in and around the Strait of Hormuz, stressing that these rights must be upheld in accordance with international law by all parties involved.