United States, Iran, Lebanon & other topics - Daily Press Briefing (8 April 2026) | United Nations

Noon briefing by Farhan Haq, Deputy Spokesperson for the Secretary-General. Highlights: Middle East Iran Lebanon Lebanon/Humanitarian Occupied Palestinian Territory Security Council Ukraine South Sudan Democratic Republic of the Congo Central African Republic Mali Noon Briefing Guest MIDDLE EAST In a statement issued late last night, the Secretary-General welcomed the announcement of a two-week ceasefire by the United States and Iran. He calls on all the parties to the current conflict in the Middle East to comply with their obligations under international law and to abide by the terms of the ceasefire in order to pave the way toward a lasting and comprehensive peace in the region.  The Secretary-General underscores that an end to hostilities is urgently needed to protect civilian lives and alleviate human suffering. He expresses sincere appreciation for the efforts of Pakistan and other countries involved in facilitating the ceasefire. And today, we can confirm that the Secretary-General’s Personal Envoy for the Middle East Conflict and its Consequences, Jean Arnault, has arrived in Iran. Acting on the Secretary-General’s instructions, he is visiting countries across the region to support all efforts aimed at achieving a comprehensive and durable resolution to the conflict. During his visit, Mr. Arnault will engage with Iranian interlocutors to hear their perspective on the way forward and will reiterate the Secretary-General’s commitment to making every effort to support a peaceful settlement. The Personal Envoy trusts that, in line with the Charter of the United Nations and international humanitarian law, all leaders will choose the path of peaceful resolution and the protection of civilians over a continued conflict. IRAN The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) says that it hopes the ceasefire will bring some much-needed respite to people, including front-line responders, across the region, following six weeks of intense hostilities. The hostilities have claimed many lives and caused devastating damage to civilian infrastructure, including electricity, water, energy and transportation facilities. In Iran, the UN and our partners, in coordination with the authorities, continue to scale-up our response to help refugees and others in the areas of health, water and sanitation, food, and shelter. Priority needs include restoring basic services, protecting vulnerable groups, rehabilitating shelters and schools, and providing critical supplies. LEBANON The United Nations strongly condemns the strikes by Israel across Lebanon that resulted in significant civilian casualties. The UN strongly condemns the loss of civilian lives. The UN continues to call on all sides to avail themselves of diplomatic channels, cease hostilities and recommit to the full implementation of Security Council resolution 1701. The ceasefire between the US and Iran offers an opportunity to prevent further loss of lives between Lebanon and Israel. The UN urges all concerned to abide by the ceasefire. Now is the time to pursue talks to resolve outstanding differences and work towards a permanent ceasefire and a long-term solution to the conflict. There is no military solution to the conflict. Meanwhile, UN peacekeepers continue to be impacted by hostilities. Yesterday the impact from an exchange of rocket and artillery fire near At Tiri in Sector West resulted in injuries to six peacekeepers, including one shrapnel wound and five cases of acoustic trauma, as well as damage to UN vehicles. The UN again urges all actors to uphold their obligations under international law and to ensure the safety and security of UN personnel and property at all times. Yesterday, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) detained a UNIFIL peacekeeper after blocking a logistics convoy. Following direct and immediate contacts by UNIFIL's Head of Mission and Force Commander and our Liaison Branch, the peacekeeper was released in less than an hour. Such detention of a United Nations peacekeeper is a violation of international law. The UN stressesagain that any intimidation or interference in the Mission’s Security Council-mandated tasks must stop immediately. Full Highlights: https://www.un.org/sg/en/content/noon-briefing-highlight?date=2026-04-08


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