In Egypt, Guterres warns against Iran-US escalation

“I want to send a loud and clear message to the parties. We need maximum restraint and diplomatic solutions,” he said.

“If the sabre-rattling we are witnessing now translates itself into a major escalation, the situation in the region can get out of control.”

Moreover, navigational rights and freedoms must be fully restored in and around the Strait of Hormuz and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait at the mouth of the Red Sea – critical maritime corridors for global trade.

He commended Egypt for its mediation role in helping to create the conditions for dialogue between the sides.

‘Keep the channels of diplomacy open’

The Secretary-General was speaking alongside Egypt’s Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty following meetings focused on this and other crises in the Middle East and Africa.

“Egypt is a pillar of multilateralism,” he said. “And at a time when divisions are deepening, it is critical to keep the channels of diplomacy open.”

On Gaza, Mr. Guterres expressed profound appreciation for Egypt’s indispensable role, noting that the country has been central to mediation and humanitarian efforts since the beginning of the conflict.

Lift Gaza aid restrictions

He commended continued support in facilitating life-saving aid, medical evacuations and the work of humanitarian partners such as the Egyptian Red Crescent.

The Secretary-General called for Israeli restrictions on humanitarian assistance to be lifted and obstacles blocking implementation of the UN Security Council-endorsed comprehensive plan to end the Gaza conflict to be removed.

“Civilians must be protected and international law must be respected,” he said.

Alarm over West Bank

The UN chief said he was also deeply alarmed by Israeli actions in the occupied West Bank, pointing to expanding settlements, “unrelenting” evictions, surging violence, assaults, and attacks against journalists and diplomats.

“We are seeing an increasingly coercive environment with the spectre of ethnic cleansing looming ever larger. This must end,” he said.

Moreover, there can be no durable peace in the Middle East without the realization of the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people to self-determination, he said, once again upholding the two-State solution.

Sudan and Libya

The Secretary-General also addressed the war in Sudan. He said that “the fighting must stop”, adding that the country’s future “must belong to the Sudanese people through an inclusive pro-political process that preserves its unity, sovereignty, and territorial integrity”.

Regarding Libya, he said that “it is time to build on political momentum, unify institutions and pave the way for national elections, finally bringing the prolonged transition to an end.”

The UN chief leaves office at the end of the year and this marked his ninth visit to Egypt since being appointed in 2017.

Mr. Guterres began his remarks by explaining that he has come back repeatedly “because when this region and our world have faced some of the most difficult moments, Egypt has consistently worked to open space for diplomacy”.