Ankara: UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said he was alarmed by the renewed military confrontations in the Middle East region, warning that escalation could blunt the diplomatic pathway.

According to Qatar News Agency, during a press stakeout on Wednesday, Spokesman of the Secretary-General Stephane Dujarric said Guterres urged all parties to exercise maximum restraint, avoid any additional escalatory acts, and take immediate de-escalation measures.

As such, the Secretary-General called on the United States and Iran to resume negotiations urgently and address the outstanding issues via diplomatic channels.