(Corrects first paragraph after UN says Arnault met Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi, not Majid Takht-Ravanchi)
April 9 (Reuters) – U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres’ personal envoy Jean Arnault met Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi in Tehran on Thursday as part of U.N. efforts to bring about an end to the Iran war, the U.N. said.
Arnault also met representatives of the Iranian Red Crescent and visited some civilian sites damaged in recent air strikes, including a university and an apartment block that had been destroyed, U.N. spokesperson Stephane Dujarric told a regular briefing in New York.
“He heard views on the way forward and reiterated the secretary-general’s firm commitment to making every possible effort to support a peaceful settlement of this conflict,” he said.
Dujarric said Arnault would continue his regional tour with several visits in the Middle East “aimed at supporting the ongoing efforts to achieve a comprehensive and durable resolution to this conflict.”
The U.N. said on Wednesday that Arnault was also expected in coming days to visit Pakistan, which facilitated the ceasefire between the United States and Iran and has been preparing for a first round of U.S.-Iran talks.
Dujarric said Arnault’s travel plans were currently “a moving target,” but the envoy had been discussing what constructive role the world body could play in bringing peace.
He said Arnault’s meeting with the deputy minister had been “substantive, and he hopes to continue his consultations.”
“We expect him to stay a little bit longer in Tehran, but obviously, things shift quite quickly,” Dujarric said.
Gharibabadi is Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister of Iran (Legal and International Affairs). Earlier, the U.N. said Arnault had met Majid Takht-Ravanchi, the Deputy Foreign Minister of Iran (Political Affairs), before correcting its error.
(Reporting by David Brunnstrom; Editing by Nia Williams)
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