In Egypt, Guterres warned against escalation by Iran-U.S

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

“If the fighting we are seeing now turns into a major escalation, the situation in the region could get out of control.”

Additionally, navigation 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 – which are important maritime corridors for global trade.

He praised Egypt for its mediation role in helping create conditions for dialogue between the two sides.

‘Keep diplomatic channels open’

The Secretary-General spoke alongside Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty after a meeting 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 crucial to keep diplomatic channels open.”

On Gaza, Mr Guterres expressed deep appreciation for Egypt’s indispensable role, and emphasized that the country has played an important role in mediation and humanitarian efforts since the beginning of the conflict..

Lift restrictions on aid to Gaza

He praised the ongoing support in facilitating life-saving assistance, medical evacuations and the work of humanitarian partners such as the Egyptian Red Crescent.

The Secretary-General called for the lifting of Israeli restrictions on humanitarian assistance and obstacles hindering the implementation of the UN Security Council-support a comprehensive plan to end the Gaza conflict to be eliminated.

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

Alarm in the West Bank

The UN chief said he was also deeply concerned by Israel’s actions in the occupied West Bank, citing settlement expansion, “incessant” evictions, increasing violence, raids and attacks on journalists and diplomats.

“We see an increasingly coercive environment with a growing threat of ethnic cleansing. This has to endhe said.

Moreover, there will be no lasting peace in the Middle East without the realization of the Palestinian people’s legitimate right to self-determination, he said, once again upholding the two-state solution.

Sudan and Libya

The Secretary General also discussed 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 safeguards unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity”.

Regarding Libya, he said that “it is time to build political momentum, unite institutions and pave the way for national elections, ultimately ending the protracted transition.”

The UN secretary general will leave his post at the end of this year and this marks his ninth visit to Egypt since being appointed in 2017.

Mr. Guterres began his remarks by explaining that he had come back again and again “because when this region and our world face its most difficult moments, Egypt consistently tries to open diplomatic space”.