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UN Secretary-General António Guterres has expressed deep concern over the escalating military confrontation between Iran and the United States, warning that continued attacks on civilian infrastructure and the worsening security situation across the Gulf risk further destabilizing the region.

UN Deputy Spokesperson Farhan Haq said the Secretary-General was "particularly concerned about attacks on civilian infrastructure in Iran and across the region," stressing that such attacks are "unacceptable."

The renewed violence comes a month after Tehran and Washington signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) following an intensive US and Israeli bombing campaign launched in late February. The agreement included a ceasefire and provisions to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic waterway through which roughly one-fifth of global oil and gas supplies pass.

Despite the interim deal, tensions have continued to mount.

Iran has launched counterstrikes that it says targeted US military bases and infrastructure in neighboring Gulf states, disrupting regional security and bringing commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz to a halt.

Kuwaiti authorities said on Friday that Iranian strikes had hit a power generation and desalination plant, causing damage that is currently being assessed.

The status of the Strait of Hormuz has emerged as a key point of contention. Iran maintains that the MoU allows it to retain ultimate control over the waterway, including the right to impose tolls on vessels seeking safe passage. The United States and the broader international community have rejected that interpretation, insisting that international law guarantees freedom of navigation without fees.

Military exchanges have intensified over the past two weeks, with reported US strikes damaging bridges and other predominantly civilian infrastructure inside Iran, while further Iranian attacks on shipping have forced the closure of the Strait once again.

The UN reiterated that the conflict cannot be resolved through military means.

"The Secretary-General reiterates his firm conviction that there is no military solution to this conflict and calls for stepped up diplomatic efforts towards a peaceful and durable settlement," UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said in a statement.

He added that any lasting agreement must include the full restoration of international navigational rights and freedoms in and around the Strait of Hormuz, underscoring the importance of preserving one of the world's most critical maritime trade routes.