TEHRAN - Mohammad Javad Zarif, Iran’s chief diplomat, has called for an immediate ceasefire in Syria in order to find a durable solution to the bloody conflict in the country.

The call for ceasefire by Zarif came after he was contacted twice by Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and also a telephone call by European Union foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini.

In his conversations with these two diplomatic figures, Zarif insisted on Iran’s principled policies and an inclusive campaign against terrorism in Syria.

Zarif also insisted that it is essential to send humanitarian aid to the civilians caught in the fire between the warring sides in Syria.

With the collapse of a U.S.-Russia brokered ceasefire last month, the war in Syria looks as intractable as ever and violence has escalated in the past fortnight.

The conflict in Syria is well into its sixth year and has claimed the lives of more than a quarter of a million people. Up to 14 million people are thought to be in need of humanitarian assistance within Syria while almost five million are in hard to reach or besieged areas.

The UN's newly-elected Secretary General Antonio Guterres has said he will make ending the conflict in Syria his top priority.

"I believe it is the international community's first priority to be able to end this conflict," he told the BBC.

Guterres said world leaders had a “vital shared interest” in ending the Syrian conflict.

PA/PA