BAKU, Azerbaijan, September 23. Iran’s address to the United Nations General Assembly represented a “lost opportunity” to present new proposals for easing the current crisis, according to Joey Hood, a former US ambassador to Tunisia and former acting assistant secretary of state for Near Eastern affairs.
Hood said Tehran could have used the UN platform to introduce what he described as a new and bold initiative rather than reiterating its existing positions.
As an example, Hood suggested that Iran could have proposed a peace-monitoring mission covering the Strait of Hormuz and the Gulf. He argued that such an initiative could potentially be considered by the United Nations and authorised through the UN Security Council.
Hood said a proposal of this kind could have changed the diplomatic dynamics surrounding the crisis and put greater pressure on the administration of US President Donald Trump to respond.
Instead, according to Hood, Iran’s address largely repeated familiar messages about the country’s strength, resilience and its position that it is not a source of regional instability.
His comments come amid intense diplomatic activity at the UN General Assembly in New York. US and Iranian representatives have held mediated discussions on the sidelines of the gathering as regional countries continue efforts to reduce tensions and revive diplomacy.
