UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has welcomed the US-Iran peace deal with its permanent ceasefire and reopening of the Strait of Hormuz as a “critical step” toward resolving the war in the Middle East.

“The Secretary-General hopes that the parties will build on this new momentum and redouble their efforts towards a final resolution of the conflict,” Guterres said in a statement attributed to his spokesman Stephane Dujarric.