United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres outlined in his remarks a number of positions related to developments in the Middle East and the paths toward de-escalation and negotiations, stressing the priority of political and diplomatic solutions.
In his remarks, he said:
"-The indicators available to the United Nations point to a strong possibility of talks with Iran resuming
-Whenever Hezbollah fires rockets at Israel, it immediately uses this as a pretext to launch large-scale operations against Lebanon
-There is no military solution to the crisis in the Middle East
-We need negotiations to continue and a ceasefire at the same time
-The time has come for restraint and responsibility; the time has come for diplomacy instead of escalation and for renewed commitment to international law
-The rights of international navigation must be respected, including in the Strait of Hormuz, by all parties
-No one expects the Israel-Lebanon talks today to solve all problems, but they are extremely important in creating the right conditions for change
-Agreements require political will and sustained engagement
-There must be a return to U.S.-Iran negotiations, the achievement of a permanent ceasefire, and the establishment of peace"
