\n
<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are indeed concerned by a resurgence of hostilities and renewed escalation across much of the region,\u201d UN Spokesperson St\u00e9phane Dujarric said on Monday in New York, stressing that \u201cimmediate de-escalation is essential.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
He noted that\u00a0\u201cas in any conflict, the protection of civilians and civilian objects is critical<\/strong>,\u201d\u00a0and the vital infrastructure\u00a0they rely on to survive –\u00a0including hospitals and water supplies\u00a0\u2013\u00a0must be spared.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cAll parties must respect their obligations under international humanitarian law<\/strong>, including the principles of distinction,\u202fproportionality\u202fand precaution,\u201d\u00a0he said.\u00a0<\/p>\n The Spokesperson added that the\u00a0UN is also \u201cvery much concerned\u201d\u202fover fresh threats by Houthi rebels in Yemen against Saudi Arabia and\u202ffreedom of navigation\u00a0in the crucial\u00a0shipping lanes of the\u00a0Red Sea\u00a0along Yemen\u2019s coast,\u202funderscoring the risk of an even wider regional escalation.\u202f\u202f\u00a0<\/p>\n He\u202fagain called for immediate de-escalation and urged all\u202fparties to address their differences through dialogue and diplomacy.\u202f<\/p>\n In response\u00a0to a journalist\u2019s question,\u00a0Mr. Dujarric\u00a0also expressed concern over the potential impact on humanitarian operations and global trade.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cWe’ve seen the Red Sea already\u00a0being choked\u00a0off in the past. We\u00a0don’t\u00a0want to see a return to that<\/strong>,\u201d\u00a0he\u00a0said.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cIt will, of course,\u00a0impact\u00a0the flow of UN goods that are shipped, notably humanitarian goods and elements for peacekeeping. But much more worryingly, it will again have a negative impact on global commerce, on the trade in energy, and just\u00a0commerce as a whole<\/strong>.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n This is\u00a0unfolding\u00a0when\u00a0\u201cwe\u2019re already seeing the impact of the near closure of the Strait of Hormuz, and what impact that is having on the global economy,\u201d he said.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n The\u00a0renewed hostilities between the US and Iran, which initially began over control of the Strait,\u00a0have\u00a0dampened hopes for peace following the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding\u00a0between Washington and Tehran\u00a0in June.\u00a0<\/p>\n The deal\u00a0ought to\u00a0end fighting\u00a0that began in February with the US and Israel bombing Iran which in turn carried out retaliatory strikes on targets in several Gulf\u00a0States and Jordan.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cAcross the Middle East, civilians are once again living with the fear and uncertainty of repeated strikes, and health systems are being forced to manage the consequences<\/strong>,\u201d said Dr. Hanan Balkhy, Regional Director for the World Health Organization (WHO), in an update on Monday.\u00a0<\/p>\n She\u00a0said\u00a0Iranian health authorities report that 50 people have been killed this month, and more than 500\u00a0injured<\/strong>, with women and children among the casualties.\u00a0Moreover, vital infrastructure has also been affected.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n She\u00a0pointed to a reported\u00a0strike on a water desalination plant in Hormozgan\u00a0province,\u00a0located\u00a0in the south of the country,\u00a0that\u00a0has disrupted safe drinking water supply for thousands.\u00a0<\/p>\n Meanwhile,\u00a0explosions near\u00a0Baqaei\u00a0Reference Hospital\u00a0last\u00a0week forced the precautionary evacuation of children receiving specialized cancer treatment.\u00a0<\/p>\n In other developments, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said on Sunday that it\u00a0was\u00a0looking into reports of an overnight attack on the site of the\u00a0Darkhovin\u00a0nuclear power plant\u00a0in Iran\u00a0which is under construction.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n The UN agency said the facility is still in the\u00a0very early\u00a0stages of construction and\u00a0contained\u00a0no nuclear material when inspectors last visited.\u00a0<\/p>\n While the attack is not believed to pose any radiological risk, IAEA chief Rafael Mariano Grossi called for military restraint around all nuclear-related sites.\u00a0<\/p>\nRenewed threat out of Yemen<\/strong>\u00a0<\/h2>\n
Fear and uncertainty<\/strong>\u00a0<\/h2>\n
The situation in Iran<\/strong>\u00a0<\/h2>\n
Nuclear site\u00a0reportedly\u00a0struck<\/strong>\u00a0<\/h2>\n
Fallout across\u00a0Gulf States<\/strong>\u00a0<\/h2>\n