UN on US-Iran peace deal: At this fragile moment, all sides need to exercise maximum restraint

GENEVA - The United Nations' human rights chief on Monday welcomed the peace deal between the United States and Iran, urging maximum restraint on all sides so a lasting agreement could be reached.

U.S. and Iranian officials said they had reached an agreement to end their war, a preliminary pact that sent oil prices falling but ​leaves the fate of Tehran's nuclear program to further negotiations.

"I welcome the announcement that the United States and Iran have agreed on a peace deal that provides for an immediate and permanent ceasefire, the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, and a framework for further negotiations," U.N. rights chief Volker Turk said.

"At this fragile moment it is clear all sides need to exercise maximum restraint and work to implement the agreement reached quickly and in good faith."

While still a framework, the deal marked the biggest breakthrough towards resolving the conflict that has killed thousands and upended energy markets since it began with joint U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran in February.

Turk also voiced alarm over Israeli strikes on populated areas and infrastructure in Lebanon, and cross-border attacks by the Iran-backed Hezbollah group. He called for an immediate end to hostilities, Israel's withdrawal from Lebanese territory and investigations into alleged violations of international law by all parties.

'APPALLING HUMAN SUFFERING'

Turk gave a wide-ranging assessment on the state of human rights globally in a speech delivered to delegates at the Human Rights Council in Geneva, as the Group of Seven leaders gather in the nearby border commune of Evian in France.

"I encourage G7 leaders meeting across the lake to put human rights at the core of their discussions, as a force for stability and progress," Turk said.

He warned that the rapid increase of drone warfare in conflicts from Gaza and Lebanon to Myanmar and the Democratic Republic of Congo was creating a “new circle of hell” for civilians. He pointed to a sharp rise in drone attacks in Sudan, underscoring growing concerns about the humanitarian impact of emerging technologies.

“Autonomous weapons cannot become a license for atrocity crimes,” Turk said, urging countries to consider the moral and legal questions of developing such weaponry and to update legal frameworks to require human control and ensure accountability for the use of the technology.

-Reporting by Olivia Le Poidevin Editing by Ludwig Burger, Linda Pasquini and Milla Nissi-Prussak/Reuters