Geneva [Switzerland], June 11 (ANI): United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres on Thursday reiterated the call for an immediate ceasefire and the restoration of navigational rights in and around the Strait of Hormuz.

Highlighting how the restrictions on navigational rights are causing hardship & instability across the world, he said that the world needs a complete ceasefire in line with international law.

'Even in the best-case scenario, these shocks will be felt for many months - with developing countries bearing the heaviest impacts,' he added.

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The UN Chief also drew attention to the conflict in Lebanon and urged the parties to work towards a diplomatic settlement that fully respects the territorial integrity, sovereignty & political independence of Lebanon.

'I fully support a monopoly on weapons by the Lebanese Government. The process must start with a comprehensive ceasefire respected by all parties everywhere, alleviating the suffering of communities on both sides of the Blue Line. I hope further negotiations will contribute to lasting peace & stability', he said.

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Meanwhile, on Wednesday, Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu shared a message to the Lebanese people stating that Israel is not at war with Lebanon.

'We're at war with Hezbollah, which has taken your country hostage, does Iran's bidding, and uses your territory to launch terrorist attacks against Israel. Once Hezbollah is dismantled, the possibilities are endless', he said in a message shared by the Israeli PMO.

Amid a rapidly evolving situation in West Asia and the Gulf region, Kuwait, Jordan and Bahrain issued alerts as air defence systems intercepted aerial targets earlier on Thursday.

This comes after CENTCOM announced in the early hours of Thursday that it carried out additional 'self-defence strikes' against multiple targets in Iran, June 10, at the Commander in Chief's direction. According to CENTCOM, these were launched against Iranian military surveillance capabilities, communication systems, and air defence sites across Iran.

The key developments come as Iranian officials announced the closure of the Strait of Hormuz in response to American strikes.

However, CENTCOM issued a fact-check stating that commercial ships are continuing to transit in and out of the Strait of Hormuz.

https://x.com/CENTCOM/status/2064854099418390919?s=20

Citing Iran's IRGC, Al Jazeera further said that 18 'important' US military-related sites were targeted, including the Ali Al-Salem and Ahmed Al-Jaber bases in Kuwait, and Sheikh Isa Air Base in Bahrain, as part of its response operations to US attacks.

Meanwhile, Iranian state broadcaster Press TV reported that the IRGC claimed 12 ballistic missiles targeted facilities housing US F-35, F-15, and F-16 fighter jets, as well as key military installations at Al-Azraq air base and its control centre, with reports of significant damage and destruction of aircraft and infrastructure.

As tensions escalate, it is further mentioned that IRGC's Commander General Sayed Majid Mousavi warned the US, vowing to turn the region into 'hell: if the US continues to threaten the security of the Strait of Hormuz. (ANI)