UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has reiterated the call for de-escalation in the Middle East ahead of the High-Level Week at the UN General Assembly.

Addressing a news conference in New York, he said navigational rights and freedoms in the Straits of Hormuz and Bab al-Mandab must be fully restored in accordance with international law.

The UN Secretary-General said the only path forward is dialogue and diplomacy, and he will continue to press this message with world leaders at the General Assembly session.

On Palestine, the Secretary-General said the Gaza peace plan must be fully implemented and the creeping annexation of the West Bank must stop.