"We are on the edge of a wider war that could engulf the Middle East, with dramatic impacts worldwide," Guterres told reporters at the UN headquarters in New York. Addressing key parties directly, Guterres called on the United States and Israel to halt hostilities. "It is high time to stop a war that is causing immense human suffering and already having devastating economic consequences," he said. He also urged Iran to cease attacks on its neighbors, emphasizing that "conflicts do not end by themselves," but only "when leaders choose dialogue over destruction." Guterres highlighted global economic roles, warning that the current disruption in the Strait of Hormuz is choking the flow of critical goods. "When the Strait of Hormuz is choked, the world’s poorest and most vulnerable cannot breathe," he conveyed.