The United Nations has urged the U.S. and Iran to remain calm amid rising tensions between the two sides, following the downing of a U.S. drone by Iran last week.
Speaking at a regular briefing for reporters at the U.N. Headquarters, Deputy Spokesperson Farhan Haq said that the body’s Secretary‑General Anotnio Guterres “has made clear his concerns, both about the recent incidents and also the rhetoric from various quarters.”
He’s made it clear that it would be a catastrophe to have any escalation in the Gulf region”, added Mr. Haq. “He has urged all sides to show nerves of steel, and he is continuing to maintain that, and he wants to make sure that they take steps to avoid any further sorts of provocation.”
U.N.’s call came as President Donald Trump on Monday announced new sanctions against Iran targeting the most senior leader of the Western Asian country, alongside military officials and Foreign Minister Javad Zarif.
Before announcing the sanctions, President Trump had last week told journalist they would “soon find out” whether he would authorize a retaliatory attack on Iran. He later said he found it “hard to believe” that the downing of the unmanned drone was intentional.
While Iran maintains that the U.S. drone had veered into Iranian airspace, the U.S says the unmanned aircraft was in international airspace.
Following closed-door talks, the U.N. Security Council urged that any differences in the Gulf be addressed “peacefully and through dialogue.”
