United Nations, March 25 – UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has stepped up his efforts to end the Iran war, appointing a personal envoy on Wednesday to support mediation efforts.
Guterres stated that he was hopeful that, despite the differing positions of the parties in the conflict, “there will be a way for them to reach an understanding and end this terrible conflict”.
The picture of diplomacy to resolve the conflict, which is now in its fourth week, remains unclear.
US President Donald Trump has asserted that negotiations were underway with Iran and were making progress, but Tehran has denied that any talks were taking place, and its military has stated that the US was "negotiating with itself".
Washington is reported to have sent a 15-point plan through third parties to end the conflict, and Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio are to join the negotiations along with Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff and his son-in-law, Jared Kushner.
Trump has not identified the Iranian "person who is most respected" with whom the US was talking.
While these efforts were underway, Israel continued attacks on Iran on Wednesday, and Tehran retaliated, also targeting countries in the Gulf.
Meanwhile, Trump was sending paratroopers to join US forces in the region.
Guterres warned, "The world is facing a wider war, a rising tide of human suffering, and a deeper global economic shock".
However, with a hint of optimism, he said, "We have mediators who have offered their services. They are very engaged".
His Personal Envoy, Jean Arnault, “will work directly on the ground, as I try to do from New York, and he will do everything possible to support all the efforts for mediation, all the efforts for peace, and to be in contact with all the parties,” the UN chief said, speaking to reporters on Wednesday.
“I have been in close contact with all those who I believe can help to try to put an end to this terrible conflict,” he said.
“This conflict is having a dramatic impact in the region, with the suffering of civilians in the region and around the world, and with an impact on the global economy that is causing tremendous trouble for less developed countries,” Guterres said.
It would be a setback for the UN's development goals, he said.
In his message to the US and Israel, he said, “It is high time to end the war – as human suffering deepens, civilian casualties mount, and the global economic impact is increasingly devastating”.
And he asked Iran to "stop attacking their neighbors that are not parties to the conflict", noting that the Security Council had condemned its assaults on the Gulf nations and others not directly involved.
"It is time to stop climbing the escalation ladder – and start climbing the diplomatic ladder (and) return to full respect of international law," he said.
With over 40 years of experience in diplomacy, Arnault was Guterres' personal envoy on Afghanistan and regional issues, giving him an understanding of the Iran problem.
Arnault, who is from France, has also represented Guterres in Colombian and Bolivian diplomacy.