Cairo, Oct 26 — UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said here on Monday that there was an opportunity to reach understandings to help ensure freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz and resolve issues related to Iran's nuclear program through peaceful means.
Guterres made the remarks during a meeting with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi in Cairo, where they discussed escalating tensions in the Gulf, the Palestinian issue and reform of the United Nations, according to a statement from the Egyptian presidency.
A lasting and sustainable peace in the region cannot be achieved without a just settlement of the Palestinian cause, Guterres said, stressing that it will remain the central issue in the Middle East until a final resolution is reached, Xinhua News Agency reported.
Expressing deep concern over developments in the West Bank, he called for measures to halt violations against Palestinians and urged the international community to fulfil its responsibilities to protect Palestinians in both Gaza and the West Bank.
Both sides affirmed the need to move forward with reforming the United Nations system, including the Security Council, in a manner that enhances its representation and fairness and strengthens its ability to respond effectively to contemporary international challenges and crises.
Iran's Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi on Sunday reiterated that the administration of the Strait of Hormuz and routes in the waterway will not be the same as they were in the past, according to the official news agency IRNA.
Araghchi made the remarks at a ceremony in the Iranian capital Tehran, while stressing that "fundamental and strategic" changes have taken place in West Asia following the US-Israeli war against Iran.
"We must accept that new realities have taken hold. The routes in the Strait of Hormuz will not be the same as they once were, and the strait's management will also not be as it was in the past," he said. "There are matters on which we have held negotiations, and these negotiations will continue."
The minister stressed that the region's security must be ensured by regional countries and without reliance on foreign forces, "who have come to the region aiming to safeguard their own interests and protect Israel, and whose continued presence will lead to nothing but insecurity for the entire region."
He added that Iran was ready to cooperate with all regional countries.