BAKU, Azerbaijan, March 11. UN
Secretary-General Antonio Guterres held a telephone conversation
with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi, Trend reports, citing the
UN press service.


The discussion focused on the ongoing military escalation in the
Middle East. Guterres reiterated the importance of respecting
international law and humanitarian law, avoiding attacks on
civilians and infrastructure, and expressed concern over the
potential for the conflict to spread across the region and impact
the global economy.


On February 26, the 3rd round of talks between Iran and the
United States regarding Iran’s nuclear program took place in
Geneva. Conducted under the administration of U.S. President Donald
Trump, the meeting was seen as the last opportunity to resolve the
escalating situation through diplomatic channels. However, no
concrete agreements were reached.


Two days later, on February 28, the United States and Israel
launched a coordinated military campaign targeting Iran’s
strategically significant military facilities and key state
leadership. Israel named the operation “Operation Lion’s Roar,”
while the United States called it “Operation Epic Fury.” The
strikes covered broad swaths of Iran, including major cities such
as Tehran, Isfahan, Tabriz, and Qom.







In retaliation, Iran initiated “Operation True Promise 4,”
striking back at Israel and U.S. military bases across the region,
including Jordan, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, and Iraq, using ballistic
missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).


The February 28 airstrikes killed Iran’s Supreme Leader
Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei and his family. Senior officials,
including the Chief of Staff of the Iranian Army, Major General
Abdul Rahim Mousavi, the Commander-in-Chief of the Islamic
Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), Mohammad Pakpour, the Supreme
Leader’s advisor and Secretary of the Defense Council, Ali
Shamkhani, and Defense Minister Aziz Nasirzadeh, were also
killed.


On March 8, Iran’s Assembly of Experts unanimously elected
Seyyed Mojtaba Khamenei, son of the late Supreme Leader, as the
country’s third Supreme Leader.