New York, June 10 (QNA) - UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned that the Middle East is drifting deeper into crisis, stressing that escalating tensions are having global repercussions, including displacement, insecurity, disrupted trade routes, and rising food and fuel prices.

Addressing a high-level meeting of the United Nations Security Council, Guterres expressed concern that recent developments could trigger a broader resurgence of conflict across the region.

He called for a diplomatic solution that respects Lebanon's sovereignty and territorial integrity and ensures the implementation of Security Council Resolution 1701.

Guterres also said the Israeli-Palestinian conflict remains at the heart of regional instability, emphasizing that ending the occupation and achieving a two-state solution are essential for lasting peace.

He highlighted the worsening humanitarian situation in Gaza and urged the full implementation of the ceasefire framework mediated by the United States, Qatar, Egypt, and Turkiye, underlining that humanitarian aid must never be used as a tool of pressure or bargaining.

On the Gulf region, Guterres described the current ceasefire as fragile, warning of the risk of a wider confrontation amid rising attacks and hostile rhetoric.

He called for respect for the ceasefire, restoration of freedom of navigation in and around the Strait of Hormuz, and serious negotiations on Iran's nuclear program to ensure its peaceful nature. (QNA)