TEHRAN - Ugochi Daniels, the United Nations Human Settlements Program Coordinator and Resident envoy to Iran, has said that Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif is “champion of multilateralism”.

“In my encounters with Zarif, he has, on multiple occasions, emphasized the importance of multilateralism; he is a champion of multilateralism,” IRNA quoted him as saying in an interview published on Saturday.

On escalating tensions between Iran and the United States, she said the UN stance is supporting dialogue instead of resorting to measures that fuel escalation.

The Trump administration is tightening sanctions pressure against Iran and is showing teeth to Iran by deploying sophisticated weaponry including aircraft carriers, B-52 bombers and F-22 fighter jets in the Persian Gulf region.

“The secretary-general has asked for maximum restraint at all levels. We - at the UN - encourage actions for multilateral dialogue and cooperation,” she said.

UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said on Wednesday that a letter by Iran, which asks the United Nations for pushback against the U.S. sanctions on Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad “is being circulated to the Security Council”.

Dujarric added the UN chief calls on all parties to avoid any actions that would escalate an already very tense situation, according to Xinhua.

In separate statements on July 31, the U.S. Treasury and State Department announced imposition of sanctions against Zarif, a move which was interpreted as a total rejection of diplomacy repeatedly claimed by the Trump administration.

Majid Takht Ravanchi, Iran’s permanent representative to the United Nations, wrote a letter to UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres on Tuesday protesting the U.S. sanctions on Zarif, saying that this move signifies a “gross violation” of the UN Charter.

“Ironically, the officials of the current administration of the United States have claimed that the illegal sanctions have been imposed due to the role and position of our Foreign Minister, who is the responsible authority for the foreign policy of the Islamic Republic of Iran. Infatuated with rogue, unreasonable conducts at the international level, this well signifies that the U.S. regime despises diplomacy, which is one of the greatest achievements of humanity to preserve and uphold peace and security among nations. It reveals the deeply-rooted hypocrisy of the United States’ authorities in their different but paradoxical claims,” he said.

NA/PA