The United Nations on Friday called on the United States and Iran to continue diplomatic efforts and ease current tensions, as Iran warned that it would no longer be bound by the bilateral memorandum of understanding (MoU) if the U.S. continues to violate its obligations.
Speaking at a regular press briefing at the UN headquarters, Stephane Dujarric, spokesman for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, stressed the importance of continuing diplomacy and voiced hope that the two sides will move negotiations forward to promote a comprehensive political solution at an early date.
"The most important thing is for the diplomacy to continue. We have seen over the last 24 hours a sort of lull in the kinetic activity. We see reports that the discussions are ongoing and we hope that they are," he said.
Tammy Bruce, U.S. deputy representative to the UN, told an emergency Security Council session on Friday that the United States favors a diplomatic settlement to the Iran conflict and hopes Tehran will engage seriously in negotiations to secure a final agreement.
According to Bruce, Iran's actions over the past week had contravened the MoU previously reached between the two sides, adding that the U.S. is ready to hold Iran accountable for such actions.
Later that day, Iran's permanent representative to the UN, Amir Saeid Iravani, told a press conference that the United States' attacks on facilities in southern Iranian cities and on several Iranian islands in the Persian Gulf on July 7 and 8 constitute a violation of the UN Charter and the MoU reached between the two sides.
Iravani said that according to the MoU, the United States pledged to cease all military operations against Iran and to refrain from threatening or using force.
He said the restoration of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz and related mine clearance work should be undertaken by Iran, adding that any intervention or establishment of parallel arrangements by external forces could undermine the implementation of the MoU and heighten regional tensions.
"Iran remained committed to the faithful implementation of the memorandum of understanding (MoU), provided that the United States fully and faithfully complies with its own obligation. However, should the United States continue to violate its obligation under the MoU, Iran will no longer be bound to fulfill its obligation under the MoU," said Iravani.
UN urges diplomacy as Iran warns US over MoU violations
Days after a powerful 7.5-magnitude earthquake struck western Colombia on Aug 10, families in Cali, the worst affected city, are confronting heartbreaking obstacles simply to lay their loved ones to rest.
Cali's morgue sustained damage in the quake and was forced to close operations after part of the Hospital Universitario del Valle collapsed. As a result, recovered bodies must be transported to the neighboring town of Palmira, which escaped structural destruction.
The influx has severely overwhelmed Palmira's facilities, leaving them short on refrigeration capacity. Grieving relatives waiting outside must wear masks as they endure agonizing waits, caught in a system operating far beyond its designed capacity.
While some families have managed to bid a painful farewell and gained a measure of closure, such as the relatives of Maria Esmeralda Ordonez in Cali, countless others remain in painful limbo.
"Thankfully it's not turned out like it has for others who today are still fighting to rescue loved ones, people who are still lying beneath the rubble. The chances of survival are very slim, but miracles are happening," said Ivan Delgado, a relative of Maria Esmeralda Ordonez.
For many families whose relatives have been recovered, the ordeal is far from over. They must navigate the bureaucracy that comes with a death.
Securing the release of a body requires a prosecutor's order, an accompanying undertaker, and a considerable amount of paperwork -- a grueling process compounded by a system operating well beyond its capacity.
Camilo Mendez, a relative of victims, knew this pain firsthand after an agonizing three-day wait to claim the bodies of his aunt and grandmother.
"From the information we've gotten here and there, you can really tell we're not prepared for this kind of event. Moving the bodies, all of it, it was very slow, very disorganized. My grandmother and my aunt were in one place, then another. It was pretty chaotic, honestly," said Mendez.
To support the exhausted crowds, volunteers and psychologists have set up tents near the Palmira facility, offering comfort and counseling.
"It's an exhausting process. You're here waiting for an answer, and no one knows when it will come. There are people with one, five, six relatives they can't find. A body may be recovered today, another tomorrow, and that's how it's gone," said Alison Morales, a volunteer psychologist.
"The community has been extraordinary, all kinds of donations, the communal kitchen, water for the people waiting," she added.
Although Palmira itself was spared the worst of the earthquake -- sustaining cracks on a few buildings and no fatalities -- it has absorbed the profound, far-reaching grief of a region struggling to bury its dead.
Families face heart-breaking delays burying victims of Colombian earthquake
