UN warns: Renewed escalation in the Strait of Hormuz portends dire consequences - Sarmad

Days after escalation in the Strait of Hormuz and the resumption of military strikes between the United States and Iran, UN Secretary-General António Guterres called on both sides to exercise “the utmost restraint” and return urgently to the negotiating table.

UN Secretary-General’s spokesperson, Stéphane Dujarric, said in a statement on Sunday that Guterres “is deeply concerned about the significant escalation and the resumption of military confrontations in the Gulf,” urging all parties to “exercise the utmost restraint” and “resume negotiations urgently” to prevent the conflict from widening.

Guterres emphasized that “the return of large-scale combat operations would have severe consequences for the peoples of the region, for international peace and security, and for the global economy.”

This came as explosions rocked several areas in southern Iran on Sunday, following new US military strikes targeting Iranian missile and air defense systems, according to Axios, citing a US official.

Hours earlier, the US military announced it had carried out one of the broadest air and naval operations against targets inside Iran in recent days, striking more than 300 military sites, in response to attacks on commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz.

Meanwhile, Iranian media reported that one member of the Iranian Navy was killed in the US strikes that targeted sites in the country’s south.

Meanwhile, the resumption of military confrontations threatens to derail the US-Iran agreement reached last month, which called for the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz and a halt to military operations, with both sides to continue negotiations over 60 days to reach a more comprehensive settlement.