Gulf crisis: Guterres calls for de-escalation, warns against return to war

Gulf crisis: Guterres calls for de-escalation, warns against return to war
UN Secretary-General António Guterres voiced deep concern on Wednesday over the continuing military escalation in the Middle East amid ongoing strikes by the United States and Iran over control of the Strait of Hormuz.
The fighting has broken an interim truce established under a Memorandum of Understanding signed by the two countries in June.
The deal sought to end hostilities that erupted in late February following US-Israeli strikes on Iran and counter attacks by Tehran across the Gulf region.
De-escalation, dialogue and diplomacy
Mr. Guterres urged all parties “to take immediate steps for de-escalation and return to the path of dialogue and diplomacy”, UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric told journalists in New York.
“The Secretary-General reiterates that a return to full-scale hostilities would exact an intolerable toll on civilians and have catastrophic consequences for international peace and security and the global economy,” he said.
The UN chief also reiterated his call for the full restoration of international navigational rights and freedoms in and around the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial maritime corridor for oil and natural gas exports.
He stressed that the exercise of navigational rights and freedoms must be respected by all sides, in line with international law.