Guterres Warns: Renewed Escalation in the Strait of Hormuz Poses Grave Consequences

SadaNews - Days after the escalation in the Strait of Hormuz and the renewal of military strikes between the United States and Iran, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres urged both sides to exercise "utmost restraint" and urgently return to the negotiating table.

UN Secretary-General's spokesperson, Stefan Dujarric, stated in a statement on Sunday that Guterres "is deeply concerned about the significant escalation and the resumption of military confrontations in the Gulf," calling on all parties to "exercise the utmost restraint" and "resume negotiations urgently" to avoid the expansion of the conflict.

Guterres emphasized that "the return of large-scale hostilities would have dire consequences for the people of the region, for international peace and security, and for the global economy."

This comes at a time when explosions rocked several areas in southern Iran on Sunday, following new strikes by the U.S. military targeting Iranian missile and air defense systems, according to what U.S. officials told Axios.

Hours earlier, the U.S. military announced one of the broadest air and naval operations against targets inside Iran in recent days, involving more than 300 military sites, in response to attacks on commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz.

In contrast, Iranian media reported that one member of the Iranian naval forces was killed during the U.S. strikes targeting locations in the south of the country.

Furthermore, the renewed military confrontations threaten to undermine the U.S.-Iran agreement signed last month, which called for the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz and the cessation of military operations, with both parties set to continue their negotiations over the next 60 days to reach a more comprehensive settlement.