UN chief calls on US, Iran to resume negotiations

United Nations, Aug 29 (IANS) UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called on the United States and Iran to resume negotiations to end their conflict through diplomacy, his spokesman said.

Asked about the secretary-general’s view on the stalled talks between the United States and Iran six months into the war, Stephane Dujarric, the spokesman, said: “This is a sad marker of six months of this ongoing conflict. We again stress that the only solution to this is a diplomatic solution. And we urge both the United States and the Islamic Republic of Iran to engage in meaningful negotiations.”

The United Nations is very supportive of the mediation efforts of Qatar, Pakistan, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait, Dujarric said, adding that the secretary-general has been very much staying in touch with them, Xinhua news agency reported.

What is clear and what continues to be concerning for the secretary-general is the devastating humanitarian and economic consequences of this conflict, including the global economic impact on food supplies, humanitarian goods that cannot go in, fertilizers that have been limited, the rise in the price of energy, he said.

The secretary-general’s personal envoy for this conflict, Jean Arnault, remains available and in contact to assist the parties and mediators in reaching a durable solution, said the spokesman.

The United States and Israel launched military attacks against Iran on Feb. 28. In retaliation, Iran attacked Israel and US military bases in the Gulf.

The Strait of Hormuz, a major maritime chokepoint for global energy trade, was largely blocked, severely disrupting the flow of oil and other commodities.

On June 18, the United States and Iran signed a memorandum of understanding, under which the two countries were scheduled to hold negotiations within 60 days to reach a final agreement. However, the fate of the talks remains unclear following renewed escalation between the two countries.

–IANS

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