US: UN chief calls for end of all fighting in Mideast.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said Friday fighting must stop on all fronts in the Middle East. Six months into the military escalation in the Gulf, what began as a regional conflict is increasingly fueling global instability, he told reporters at the UN headquarters. The UN chief said that trade through the Strait of Hormuz has collapsed, energy markets have been disrupted, food and key fertilizer prices have surged, and global supply chains are under growing strain. Guterres said families around the world are struggling to afford food, farmers are unable to pay for essential inputs, and vulnerable countries are being pushed closer to the brink. He also cited the World Food Programme's warning that up to 45 million people could face acute food insecurity as a result, while rising prices and slowing economic growth threaten to push millions more back into poverty. Shotlist: UN Headquarters, New York City - July 31, 2026: 1. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres walking to podium; UN Headquarters, New York City - July 31, 2026 2. SOUNDBITE (English) Antonio Guterres, secretary-general, United Nations: "We are now six months into the military escalation in the Gulf. What began as a regional conflict is increasingly becoming a driver of global instability. Trade through the Strait of Hormuz has collapsed. Energy markets have been upended. Prices of food and key fertilizers have surged. Supply chains are buckling."; UN Headquarters, New York City - July 31, 2026 3. Farhan Haq (L), Guterres' deputy spokesman, at press briefing; UN Headquarters, New York City - July 31, 2026 4. SOUNDBITE (English) Antonio Guterres, secretary-general, United Nations: "Let me be clear: the fighting must stop on all fronts in the region. International navigational rights and freedoms in and around the Strait of Hormuz and Bab al-Mandab must be fully restored. And diplomacy must prevail."; UN Headquarters, New York City - July 31, 2026 5. Various of Guterres speaking; media crew at press briefing. [Restrictions: No access Chinese mainland/For news purpose only/No archive/Not for other production use]