UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has called for maximum restraints from all parties regarding the escalating tensions in the Persian Gulf region, his spokesman Stephane Dujarric said on Tuesday.
The spokesman made the remarks at a press briefing at the UN Headquarters in New York when taking a media query about the arrival of the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier in the Middle East near Iran's border.
"The secretary-general is very concerned indeed about the reported military buildup in the Persian Gulf region. Again, the secretary-general calls for maximum restraints and encourages all actors to refrain from any actions that will further increase tension or ignite conflict escalation in the wider region. He remains convinced that all concerns regarding Iran are best addressed through dialogue, through diplomacy and negotiations. And in this regard, he welcomes all efforts aimed at regional de-escalation and calls on all actors to take concrete steps to defuse tensions and strengthen regional confidence," said Dujarric.
Protests have erupted in several Iranian cities since late December over the sharp fall in the national currency, the rial, and long-standing economic hardships.
The protests, with some turning into deadly clashes, have prompted Iranian authorities to allege that the United States and Israel may be behind the incidents.
Earlier this month, U.S. President Donald Trump said that the United States would take "very strong action" against Iran if it executed protesters. He previously backed down from ordering military action but insisted that all options remained on the table.
The U.S. Central Command said on Monday night via social media that the USS Abraham Lincoln, along with three destroyers, is deployed to the Middle East to "promote regional security and stability".
UN chief urges maximum restraints from all parties regarding escalating tensions in Persian Gulf region
UN chief urges maximum restraints from all parties regarding escalating tensions in Persian Gulf region
China's centrally administered state-owned enterprises spent more than 1.1 trillion yuan (over 158 billion U.S. dollars) on research and development in 2025, exceeding one trillion yuan for a fourth consecutive year, underscoring the trend to strengthen innovation among key state firms, a senior official said on Tuesday.
At a press conference in Beijing, officials from the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission (SASAC) briefed the media on the performance of central state-owned enterprises.
These enterprises also made steady progress in improving quality and efficiency last year, with total profits reaching 2.5 trillion yuan (about 360 billion U.S. dollars), according to official data.
"They also contributed 22 new members to the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Chinese Academy of Engineering, a historic high. Twenty-three innovation consortiums involved more than 100 new innovation entities in key research projects. A series of breakthroughs were made in frontier fields, further highlighting the role of national strategic scientific and technological forces," said Pang Xiaogang, vice chairman of the commission.
Central state-owned enterprises employ about 1.44 million researchers, accounting for around one-fifth of China's total, and they have a total of 238 academicians, or about 13 percent of the national total, according to official data.
These enterprises have established 474 national-level research and development platforms, regrouped 91 national key laboratories, and led the construction of 10 national technology innovation centers.
The commission said state-owned enterprises are also stepping up collaboration with universities and research institutions, with eight restructured research bodies piloting industry-wide common technology research centers.
Efforts have been made to accelerate the commercialization of research outcomes, with the localization rate of the first batch of projects rising to 79 percent from 51 percent, while 134 pilot testing platforms have opened 291 specialized services.
Central state-owned enterprises have led or taken part in all the 22 major national science and technology programs, and have achieved 121 technological breakthroughs in which the country now holds a leading position.
Central SOEs' R&D spending tops 1 trln yuan again
