UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has warned that escalating tensions between the United States and Iran risk triggering a complete loss of control in the Middle East, stating he issued the alert on October 26.
“If the saber-rattling we are currently witnessing escalates into a large-scale mutual escalation, the situation in the region may spiral out of control,” Guterres wrote on social media platform X (formerly Twitter).
The UN chief called for restraint and a diplomatic resolution to the differences between the two nations. He also emphasized the urgent need to restore freedom of navigation under international law in the Straits of Hormuz and Bab el-Mandeb, as well as their adjacent regions.
Recent developments show Washington has been reducing military personnel at bases and withdrawing diplomats from the Middle East. On October 24, reports indicate Iran made an offer to the U.S. administration through Pakistani channels to resume operations in the Strait of Hormuz in exchange for ending the American blockade of Iranian ports. This proposal followed heightened military and economic pressure on Iran.
Additionally, foreign ministers from Turkey, Egypt, Pakistan, and Saudi Arabia urged the immediate restoration of safe and unhindered navigation through the Strait of Hormuz on October 23. In parallel, it was reported that Donald Trump indicated the United States could seize all of Iran’s oil assets and the nation itself if desired.
