UN Secretary-General Guterres today issued a statement on the Iran conflict: "My position is clear:
To the United States and Israel:
It is time to end this war, which has caused immense humanitarian suffering and devastating economic consequences.
To Iran:
Stop attacking your neighbors.
The moment for ending the conflict lies in leaders choosing dialogue over destruction.
This choice remains available.
And it must be made now."
Commentary: Guterres's seemingly neutral and impartial appeal actually reveals the helplessness and awkwardness of the United Nations in the face of great power rivalry. Faced with intense confrontation between the U.S.-Israel bloc and Iran, the UN lacks the enforcement mechanisms to stop the war and cannot influence the military actions of the parties involved. It can only resort to vague moral appeals for peace and dialogue. This ostensibly balanced stance is, in reality, an expression of resignation under the dominance of power politics, exposing the fundamental dilemma of the world's largest international organization—its lack of real authority to restrain regional conflicts and effectively uphold peace.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1861404213605385/
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