Tehran: President Masoud Pezeshkian has called for a more effective and efficient role for the United Nations in dealing with international developments and crises, saying international institutions should not allow powerful states to act with impunity. Pezeshkian made the remarks on Tuesday during a meeting with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit and the SCO Plus meeting in Kyrgyzstan.

According to Islamic Republic News Agency, Pezeshkian thanked Guterres for his positions condemning US-Israeli attacks against Iran, saying the attacks demonstrated a disregard for basic humanitarian principles and international law. Pezeshkian said the recent agreement aimed at ending the war should be respected and its parties should remain committed to their obligations. He stressed that Iran did not seek war and considered conflict to be in the interest of no one.

The president, however, said Tehran would not accept the use of force or threats, adding that recognition of the rights of the Iranian people, a return to the agreement and implementation of US commitments were necessary to resolve the current situation. He called on international organizations and institutions to play a more effective role in preventing certain countries from using their power and military capabilities to engage in aggression and commit crimes.

Guterres, for his part, said his approach during his tenure had focused on respect for the rule of law, peace and reducing conflicts, including during the recent war against Iran. He said his statements had consistently called for a peaceful and diplomatic solution to the conflict. The UN chief believed Israel had drawn the United States into the war with Iran and had sought to weaken and destroy the West Asian country.

Guterres said he had been the only UN secretary-general to condemn the attack on Iran before the UN Security Council and the US representative, adding that the position had brought him considerable pressure and consequences. Referring to the recent agreement aimed at ending the war, Guterres said the United Nations had welcomed its signing and viewed it as an important political achievement for Iran and a step toward ending the conflict, regretting that the agreement had faced challenges. He expressed hope that the war would end as soon as possible.