UN Secretary-General Demands End to Middle East Fighting

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called for an immediate end to fighting across the Middle East and the full restoration of international navigational rights and freedoms in the Bab El Mandeb Strait and the Strait of Hormuz. He warned that military escalation, which began six months ago, has transitioned from a regional conflict into a source of global instability.

Guterres stated that the conflict is disrupting trade and driving up global costs for energy, fertilizers, and food. These economic pressures are impacting vulnerable countries and families worldwide.

Complementing these warnings, the United Nations World Food Programme reported that the conflict could leave approximately 45 million people facing acute food insecurity. The agency attributed this risk to rising prices and slowing economic growth resulting from the regional instability.