The Maldives has notified the president of the UNGA and the president of the Security Council of its decision to withdraw its nomination of Gamba, according to a note to correspondents issued by the spokesperson of the Office of the President of the UNGA.
With the withdrawal, there are four candidates for the next UN secretary-general: former Chilean President Michelle Bachelet, originally nominated by Chile, Brazil and Mexico; Rafael Grossi, the current director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, nominated by Argentina; Macky Sall, former president of Senegal, nominated by Burundi; and Rebeca Grynspan, economist and former vice president of Costa Rica, nominated by Costa Rica.
According to documents posted on the website of the United Nations on Thursday, Chile has withdrawn its nomination of Bachelet, but she will remain as a candidate nominated by Brazil and Mexico.
Antonio Guterres, the current and ninth secretary-general of the United Nations, took office in January 2017. The next UN secretary-general will take over the role from Jan. 1, 2027.
This statement was made by Rwanda on March 25, 2026, in Geneva, Switzerland, during a session of the United Nations Human Rights Council.
The session discussed a resolution condemning the acts of aggression initiated by Iran against countries including Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, and Jordan.
Iran has been accused of provoking these nations after the United States, in cooperation with Israel, began launching attacks on Iran on February 28, 2026. In retaliation, Iran launched attacks on neighboring countries in the Middle East.
The attacks targeted infrastructure in these Gulf states and Jordan, accusing them of collaborating with Western nations and harboring U.S. military bases. Civilian infrastructure, including hotels and airports, was severely damaged.
Iran is also accused of further aggression for closing the Strait of Hormuz, a vital waterway serving as a transit for 20% of the world’s oil. This action continues to have significant economic repercussions globally.
During the UN session, Rwanda made it clear that it supports the resolution condemning Iran’s actions.
Edmond Tubanambazi, First Counsellor and Chargé d’Affaires a.i. of the Permanent Mission of Rwanda in Switzerland and the UN offices in Geneva, stated that Rwanda is concerned about the escalating conflict in the Middle East.
“Rwanda remains deeply concerned by the ongoing escalation in the Middle East. We reaffirm that the protection of civilians and civilian infrastructure, as well as the respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all states, are a fundamental obligation under international law,” he said.
“In this context, Rwanda supports a resolution before this Council, as it underscores these essential principles. We stress that its implementation must contribute to de-escalation with ceasefire efforts and a pursuit of sustainable peace, prioritized by all parties concerned,” added Tubanambazi.
Tubanambazi further stressed that Rwanda supports an immediate ceasefire and the reopening of critical maritime trade routes.
“Rwanda calls for an immediate de-escalation, a cessation of hostilities, and urgent measures to protect civilian populations, preserve vital infrastructure, and ensure the safety of economic and maritime goods,” he noted, highlighting the need for renewed diplomatic engagement to prevent further loss of life.
The United Nations Human Rights Council adopted the resolution, titled “The effects of the recent military aggression carried out by Iran,” with support from more than 100 countries from multiple regional groups.
The countries most affected by Iran’s attacks are also significant partners of Rwanda.
Qatar, for instance, collaborates with Rwanda in various sectors, including air transport, and is expected to play a role in the construction of the new Kigali International Airport in Bugesera, which will further strengthen its investment in Rwanda.
The United Arab Emirates is another close trading partner of Rwanda, as it imports a significant amount of Rwanda’s products.
Rwanda also has a strong relationship with Jordan. In 2024, the governments of Rwanda and Jordan signed cooperation agreements in sectors such as agriculture, economy, trade, health, and medical services.
These agreements were signed on January 7, 2024, during a visit by King Abdullah II Ibn Al-Hussein of Jordan to Rwanda.
These agreements built upon existing relations, focusing on political dialogue to strengthen trade and investment partnerships, tourism, and agriculture.
Additionally, in January 2026, Rwanda and Oman signed four agreements and cooperation programmes aimed at strengthening bilateral partnership and expanding areas of joint cooperation.
These agreements cover logistics, dry ports, supply chains, data centres, cloud computing, infrastructure, artificial intelligence projects and services, cloud services and enhancing air connectivity between the two countries.
Another agreement was signed on air transport, laying ground for Oman Air to operate two weekly direct flights to Kigali starting June this year.
Edmond Tubanambazi, First Counsellor and Chargé d’Affaires a.i. of the Permanent Mission of Rwanda in Switzerland and the UN offices in Geneva, stated that Rwanda is concerned about the escalating conflict in the Middle East.Qatar is among countries seriously affected by Itanian attacks.
Arnault has nearly 40 years of experience in international diplomacy, focused on peace settlements and mediation, and an extensive background leading UN missions in Africa, Asia, Europe and Latin America, according to a note to correspondents issued by the Office of the Spokesperson for the UN secretary-general.
Arnault’s most recent assignments include his service, between 2015 and 2018, as delegate of the secretary-general to the Colombia peace talks and then as special representative of the secretary-general for Colombia, when he led UN efforts to verify the implementation of the 2016 Final Peace Agreement in that country.
From 2019 to 2020, he was the secretary-general’s personal envoy for Bolivia, and in 2021, Arnault was named the secretary-general’s personal envoy on Afghanistan and regional issues.
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres gestures during a press conference, following an escalation between Hezbollah and Israel amid the U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran, in Beirut, Lebanon, March 14, 2026. Photo by Reuters
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said that while messages have been exchanged through third‑party countries, there have been no direct talks or negotiations between Tehran and Washington.
“Messages being conveyed through our friendly countries and us responding by stating our positions or issuing the necessary warnings is not called negotiation or dialogue,” he explained.
In contrast, speaking at an event in Washington, President Trump said Iranian leaders “are negotiating, by the way, and they want to make a deal so badly,” and suggested they are reluctant to admit it publicly “because they will be killed by their own people… and afraid they’ll be killed by us.”
The U.S. proposal is reported to include about a 15‑point plan that aims to end hostilities, reopen critical shipping routes like the Strait of Hormuz, and limit Iran’s ballistic missile capabilities though the White House has not disclosed precise details. Iran has also reportedly told mediators that any ceasefire must include conditions involving Lebanon.
The conflicting comments come as the war continues to have a severe global impact. Fuel shortages have driven up prices around the world, and markets briefly rallied at hopes of a ceasefire before those hopes eased.
United Nations leaders and other international actors are urging a diplomatic end to the conflict, underscoring the urgent need for de‑escalation after nearly four weeks of intense fighting.
Iran says it is reviewing a US ceasefire plan but no talks; Trump says Tehran leaders want a deal.
“President Trump does not bluff and he is prepared to unleash hell,” she said at a White House press briefing. “Any violence beyond this point,” she said, will be because Iran “refused to understand they have already been defeated and refused to come to a deal.”
Leavitt declined to reveal whom Washington is negotiating with over how to end the war with Iran.
“We’re not going to get into the details of these negotiations and conversations that continue to take place as, of course, you can imagine, they are very sensitive diplomatic discussions,” she said.
Leavitt argued the war, breaking out on February 28, remains on track to endure for four to six weeks.
There are no talks or negotiations between Iran and the United States, said Iran’s foreign ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei in an exclusive interview with India Today on Wednesday.
“No one can trust U.S. diplomacy,” Baghaei said, noting that Iran had a very catastrophic experience with U.S. diplomacy, evidenced by U.S. attacks during negotiations over the nuclear issue in the past.
Ebrahim Zolfaghari, spokesman of Iran’s main military command Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, said the United States is negotiating with itself due to its internal strife.
He urged the United States to stop disguising its defeat as “an agreement,” adding, “the strategic power the enemies would brag about has turned into a strategic defeat.”
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt gestures at a White House press briefing in Washington, D.C., the United States, March 25, 2026. U.S. President Donald Trump will “unleash hell” if Iran refuses to make a deal over the ongoing U.S.-Israeli war against Iran, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said on Wednesday.
“The center is the only facility in Iran responsible for the design and development of submarines and support systems for the Iranian Navy,” an Israeli military spokesperson said, adding that Iran also produces various models of unmanned vessels at the site.
The strike “significantly limits” the Iranian Navy’s ability to manufacture new and advanced submarines and upgrade its existing fleet, the spokesperson said.
Separately, the military said it has completed two waves of large-scale airstrikes targeting government sites in Tehran on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, multiple sirens were activated across Israel on Wednesday amid Iranian missile launches, including in Tel Aviv and Hadera, where one of Israel’s key power stations is located.
A large plume of black smoke was seen in the area, but the military said the missile hit an empty field, and the Israel Electric Corporation said in a statement that no damage was caused to its facilities.
No casualties have been reported so far.
Also, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said Wednesday that the country has dropped over 15,000 munitions on Iran since the start of the nearly month-long conflict, about four times the number used in the Israel-Iran war last summer.
The developments came amid heightened regional tensions following joint U.S.-Israeli attacks on Iran that began on Feb. 28, prompting retaliatory attacks by Iran and its regional allies on Israeli and U.S. interests across the Middle East.
Israel said the latest strike “significantly limits” the Iranian Navy’s ability to manufacture new and advanced submarines and upgrade its existing fleet.
According to the ruling, the judge will reassess whether the conditions for house arrest remain in place once the period expires.
The decision follows a statement from Attorney General Paulo Gonet, who supported easing Bolsonaro’s detention conditions due to his health condition.
Bolsonaro is serving a final sentence of 27 years and three months in prison for leading an attempted coup in 2022.
He suffered a health episode on March 13 at a military police facility, which prompted his urgent transfer to a hospital in Brasilia. Medical reports showed respiratory complications and bilateral bacterial bronchopneumonia. According to the latest update, he is recovering well and is expected to leave intensive care within 24 hours.
The former president had previously been under house arrest but was returned to preventive detention in November, after violating the terms of his electronic monitoring.
The former president had previously been under house arrest but was returned to detention in November after violating electronic monitoring terms.
The Trump administration is eager to “find an off-ramp from the conflict as it grapples with its economic fallout,” said the report.
The plan addresses Iran’s ballistic missile and nuclear programs and discusses maritime routes, referring to the Strait of Hormuz, it said.
However, it was unclear how widely the plan, delivered by way of Pakistan, had been shared among Iranian officials and whether Iran was likely to accept it as a basis for negotiations, said the report.
It was also unclear whether Israel was on board with the proposal, the report added.
Israel’s Channel 12 also reported on Tuesday that Washington has delivered Tehran a 15-point plan for a month-long ceasefire deal.
The TV channel, citing sources familiar with the matter, said U.S. President Donald Trump’s advisors Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner are promoting the plan for an immediate pause in hostilities, using a 30-day window to finalize the 15-point plan.
The plan demands that Iran dismantle its nuclear capabilities, cease all uranium enrichment, and provide a permanent commitment to never seeking nuclear weapons, the channel reported.
Additionally, Tehran would be required to halt funding and arming allied groups in the region and guarantee that the Strait of Hormuz remains open to international shipping, the channel said, adding that in exchange, Washington is offering full sanctions relief, assistance in developing a civilian nuclear energy project in southern Iran’s Bushehr, and the removal of the “snapback” mechanism threat that enables the reimposition of previously lifted UN sanctions on Iran.
For now, there is no indication that the war will let up imminently. The White House said Tuesday that as diplomacy was underway, military strikes on Iran were continuing.
The plan allegedly addresses Iran’s ballistic missile and nuclear programs and discusses maritime routes, referring to the Strait of Hormuz.
“Our world is the most violent it has been since World War II. The number of people uprooted and forced to flee their homes is increasing by the hour,” Jorge Moreira da Silva, executive director of the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS), said in a statement on Monday.
The devastating conflict in the Middle East has crossed borders, shaken the world economy amid exponential price hikes in oil, fuel and gas, he said.
He pointed out that developing countries in Asia and Africa are likely to suffer the most severe impacts, and the number of people living in hunger globally is likely to increase by tens of millions this year, he said.
He urged all parties to implement all UN Security Council resolutions and end this chaos and people’s suffering through diplomatic and peaceful solutions.
UNOPS, formerly a part of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), was established as a separate, self-financing entity within the UN system on Jan. 1, 1995. Headquartered in Copenhagen, Denmark, it provides project management, procurement and infrastructure services in more than 100 countries worldwide.
UN says the world is currently experiencing its most violent period since World War II as the escalation in the Middle East continues
Earlier reports from Congolese sources suggested an attempted intrusion at the hotel, with government spokesperson Patrick Muyaya asserting that assailants who allegedly targeted Nyakeru were neutralized by presidential security.
Rumors from DRC side quickly circulated in media and social circles linking the incident to external actors, including Rwanda, though these claims remain unverified.
In a statement released on Wednesday, the embassy clarified that reports of an attempted intrusion were misleading and misrepresented the actual events.
The statement explained that an unarmed member of a Rwandan VIP security detail “inadvertently encountered security agents of a DRC delegation in a hotel hallway accessible to all guests,” as both delegations were staying at the same hotel.
The embassy added that the Rwandan security member was “briefly restrained from accessing the elevator by the DRC security agents, which was inappropriate and wrong behavior in a common area,” but emphasized that the situation “was eventually resolved without further escalation.”
“Following this incident, the Rwandan party made a decision to change hotels, but were harassed and filmed by unknown persons as they checked out and departed. Despite this provocation, the Rwandan team was restrained and professional at all times, and carefully avoided any confrontation,” the statement reads.
“There has been gross misrepresentation of what transpired, including blatant dishonesty by the DRC Minister of Information in a press conference last night. These contemptible lies should be disregarded and condemned,” the embassy added.
Nyakeru has traveled to the United States for an official visit.
