HAMILTON, Canada

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Tuesday reaffirmed the need for an end to the military escalation in the Middle East as Gulf countries continue to be hit.

"The secretary-general asserts once more that the war in the Middle East must stop," Guterres' spokesperson Farhan Haq said in a statement, adding: "Diplomacy must prevail."

Noting that "all Security Council resolutions must be implemented," the statement further pointed to the most recent Resolution 2817.

Guterres stressed that it "must be respected, as we see that countries in the Gulf continue to be targeted."

Last week, the UN Security Council adopted Resolution 2817 that condemns Iran's attacks on Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states, as well as Jordan.

Presented by Bahrain, the resolution garnered record co-sponsorship in the UN Security Council's history, with 135 countries backing the resolution.

The resolution, passed with 13 votes in favor and two abstentions, emphasized "strong support for the territorial integrity, sovereignty and political independence" of the GCC states and Jordan.