‘Out of control’: UN chief names personal envoy for Middle East war
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UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres (left) has appointed veteran French diplomat Jean Arnault to be his personal envoy on the conflict in the Middle East.
PHOTOS: EPA, X/@UNDPPA
- UN Chief Guterres appoints Jean Arnault as personal envoy to address the "out of control" Middle East conflict and prevent wider war.
- Guterres urges the US and Israel to end the war and appeals to Iran to cease attacking neighbours, highlighting the devastating human and economic impacts.
- He calls for de-escalation by all parties, including Hezbollah and Israel, emphasizing the need to avoid replicating "the Gaza model" in Lebanon.
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UNITED NATIONS, United States - UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on March 25 named veteran French diplomat Jean Arnault to be his personal envoy on the conflict in the Middle East, saying it was “out of control” and the “world is staring down the barrel of a wider war”.
Mr Guterres told reporters he had been in close contact with many in the region and around the world, and that a number of initiatives for dialogue and peace were under way.
He said these must succeed and warned that prolonged closure of the Strait or Hormuz was choking movement of oil, gas, and fertiliser at a critical moment in the global planting season.
“It is time to stop climbing the escalation ladder – and start climbing the diplomatic ladder,” he said at the UN headquarters in New York.
“My message to the United States and Israel is that it is high time to end the war – as human suffering deepens, civilian casualties mount, and the global economic impact is increasingl y devastating,” Mr Guterres said.
“My message to Iran is to stop attacking their neighbours,” he added.
Mr Guterres said Hezbollah must stop launching attacks into Israel and Israel must stop its military operations and strikes in Lebanon, which were hitting civilians the hardest.
“The Gaza model must not be replicated in Lebanon,” he said.
Disrupted fertiliser shipments and soaring energy prices from the war in Iran have threatening to unleash a fresh food-price surge across vulnerable nations, risking a years-long setback just as many were recovering from successive global shocks, UN and other experts warn.
The UN says Mr Arnault has more than 30 years of experience in international diplomacy focusing on peace settlements and mediation, with a background in United Nations missions in Africa, Asia, Europe and Latin America.
His most recent assignment was in 2021 as Mr Guterres’ personal envoy on Afghanistan and regional issues. REUTERS
