New York, June 03 (QNA) - The Secretary-General of the United Nations, Antonio Guterres, said on Wednesday that he is profoundly alarmed by the Iranian attacks that targeted civilian and critical facilities in the State of Kuwait and the Kingdom of Bahrain.

He also expressed his profound concern over the exchange of fire between the United States and Iran overnight.

According to a statement read out by his Spokesperson at the daily press conference, Guterres expressed his grave concern over the reported civilian casualties.

In this context, Guterres urged all parties to exercise maximum restraint and avoid any additional escalation that could imperil ongoing diplomatic efforts, stressing the importance of fully respecting the sovereignty of all nations and their territorial integrity.

The UN Chief further condemned all attacks on civilian infrastructure, stressing that international law utterly prohibits targeting civilian objects.

In addition, Guterres called on all parties to uphold their commitments under international law and international humanitarian law and to take all possible precautions to protect civilians, reiterating his full support for ongoing mediation efforts, including those led by Pakistan.

He urged all parties to engage constructively and in good faith in diplomatic initiatives. (QNA)