U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is deeply concerned by continuing military escalation in West Asia and has urged all parties to de-escalate and return to diplomacy, a U.N. spokesperson said on Wednesday.
"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," spokesperson Stephane Dujarric told reporters.
Dujarric said the U.N. chief also called for the full restoration of international navigational rights and freedom of navigation in and around the Strait of Hormuz, adding that such rights must be respected by all parties in accordance with international law.
Asked whether the United Nations was engaged in talks with parties involved in tensions around the Strait of Hormuz, Dujarric said officials continued to have contacts "at various levels" and were pushing for "an active return to diplomacy."