UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned on Thursday that the Middle East is being drawn into an ever-widening cycle of conflict, saying the region is "teetering on the edge of the unimaginable."

Axar.az reports, citing foreign media, that Guterres told a UN Security Council meeting that an "alarming disregard for international law" is fueling conflicts and worsening crises across the region.

"The situation is getting out of control. It is teetering on the edge of the unimaginable," Guterres said. "The region is being pulled into an ever-widening circle of confrontation."

He stressed that "diplomacy is the only way forward" and called for the full restoration of navigational rights and freedoms in and around the Strait of Hormuz and Bab al-Mandab.

The UN chief also voiced concern over the humanitarian situation in Gaza, saying civilians continue to pay a heavy price, while warning of growing violence and "creeping annexation" in the occupied West Bank.

Guterres urged the Security Council and UN member states to intensify diplomatic efforts, emphasizing that "no diplomatic initiative is in vain" and calling on the Council to "lead by example."