UN Secretary-General António Guterres voiced deep concern on Wednesday, July 15th, 2026, about the escalating military conflict in the Middle East amid ongoing strikes by the United States and Iran over control of the Strait of Hormuz. This escalation has broken an interim truce established under a Memorandum of Understanding signed by the two countries in June, which aimed to end hostilities that began in late February following US-Israeli strikes on Iran and subsequent counterattacks by Tehran across the Gulf region.

Guterres urged all parties "to take immediate steps for de-escalation and return to the path of dialogue and diplomacy," as relayed by UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric in New York. The Secretary-General warned that a return to full-scale hostilities would impose an intolerable toll on civilians and have catastrophic consequences for international peace, security, and the global economy.

He also reiterated the importance of fully restoring international navigational rights and freedoms in and around the Strait of Hormuz, a vital maritime corridor for oil and natural gas exports, emphasizing that these rights must be respected by all sides in accordance with international law.

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