UN chief discusses Gaza, Lebanon and Yemen in meeting with Iranian president

WASHINGTON

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres discussed the Gaza war and the situation in Lebanon with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian in New York on Monday, according to Guterres' office.

The meeting between Guterres and Pezeshkian took place at the UN on the sidelines of the 79th session of the UN General Assembly this week.

"The Secretary-General and the President discussed issues of mutual concern, including the Middle East, particularly the war in Gaza, as well as the situation in Lebanon and Yemen," said his office in a statement.

"The Secretary-General highlighted the pressing need for regional de-escalation and Iran’s important role in the realization of that objective," the statement added.

The meeting came amid escalating tensions between Israel and Lebanon's Hezbollah group.

Israel has launched a barrage of airstrikes into southern and eastern Lebanon, with Lebanese health authorities saying that at least 492 people have been killed, including 35 children, and 1,645 injured in the attacks since Monday morning, which have also forced thousands of civilians to flee their homes.

Hezbollah and Israel have been engaged in cross-border warfare since the beginning of Israel's war on Gaza, which has killed over 41,400 people, the majority of whom are women and children, following a cross-border attack by the Palestinian group Hamas on Oct. 7 last year.

Israeli forces intensified their attacks on Lebanon, ignoring the international community's warnings that they would risk spreading the Gaza conflict to other regions.