UN chief Guterres, Iran’s Pezeshkian discuss diplomacy, Strait of Hormuz

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres met on Friday Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and stressed the need to resolve the war in the Middle East through dialogue and negotiations.

“The Secretary-General stressed the urgent need to resolve the conflict in the Middle East through dialogue and negotiations, with full respect for international law, including international navigational rights and freedoms in and around the Strait of Hormuz,” a UN statement said.

Guterres also reaffirmed the UN’s commitment to “support all diplomatic efforts.”

The meeting came as Iran said it has put forward a seven-day proposal to end hostilities and reopen the strategically important strait.

Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told reporters earlier in the day that the proposal was conveyed to Washington through Qatar, and that if “necessary conditions are met,” the strait would be open within seven days.

The US has yet to publicly respond to the proposal.

The US and Israel launched a war against Iran on Feb. 28, which Tehran said killed thousands of people. Tehran responded with missile and drone attacks in the region and effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic route for energy supplies.