UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres pleaded Friday with all sides to “give peace a chance” in the Iran-Israel conflict, warning that the violence could spiral out of control.
“To the parties to the conflict — the potential parties to the conflict — and to the Security Council as the representative of the international community, I have a simple and clear message: Give peace a chance,” Guterres said, in a veiled reference to the United States, which is considering intervening militarily to support Israel.
The unfortunate war continues unabated mainly because of the arrogant attitude of Israel but it is encouraging that with few exceptions the entire world wants a ceasefire and a peaceful resolution of the conflict. Iran demonstrated its commitment to regional peace and security by participating in nuclear talks with European powers in Geneva on 20 June where no breakthrough was achieved but German, French and British Foreign Ministers and their EU counterparts credited Iran for its willingness to further discuss all the important questions, urging Iran to continue diplomacy with the United States to find a solution. In fact, Iran is also ready for talks with the United States but wants a halt in Israel aggression, which is understood as talks should not be held at gunpoint. The United States, which was previously in a hurry to join the war, has also delayed its decision by two weeks, providing a window of opportunity for diplomacy to succeed. However, no just resolution is possible without the UN, China, Russia and the European powers adopting a strong position in line with international law. It is also important to note that earlier, Israel was hinting at a regime change in Iran but now its PM says this is not the goal. Otherwise too, any attempt to bring about a fall of the popular government will further diminish prospects for regional security and stability.
