UN Chief Says Will Welcome Any Effort To Prevent 'Major' Conflict In Persian Gulf

UNITED NATIONS (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 12th September, 2019) UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told reporters on Thursday that he would welcome every effort that is undertaken to avoid a possible confrontation in the Persian Gulf.

"It is absolutely essential to avoid any escalation of the situation in the [Persian] Gulf, and the world cannot live with a major confrontation in the Gulf, so any effort that might be made in order to avoid it will always be welcomed," Guterres said.

Tensions have escalated in the Persian Gulf over the past several months due to the standoff between the United States and Iran.

A series of attacks on oil tankers in the Gulf of Oman and the Hormuz Strait has worsened the situation, with Washington and its allies blaming Iran and Tehran denying all accusations.

Guterres, responding to whether US President Donald Trump and Iran's President Hassan Rouhani would hold a bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the upcoming 74th session of the UN General Assembly, said, "I have no particular insight in relation to that."

On Tuesday, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Trump and Rouhani could potentially meet at the UN General Assembly's general debate scheduled for September 24-30.