The UN secretary general has called for the resumption of “serious negotiations” to end the war in the Middle East, AFP reports.

Antonio Guterres has also told journalists at the UN headquarters in New York that international freedom of navigation must be respected “by all parties” in the Strait of Hormuz.

“There is no military solution to this crisis. Peace agreements require persistent engagement and political will. Serious negotiations must resume,” he said.

Guterres adds that the ceasefire between the United States and Iran “must be preserved” — referring to the two-week truce agreed on last week after mediation by Pakistan.

“Nobody expects that these talks today will solve all the problems, but I think it will be very important if these talks create the conditions for a change in the way the actors have been developing their activities,” Guterres says.