TEHRAN (Press TV) -- UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has highlighted Iran’s role in the Middle East, stressing the need to tap into the Islamic Republic’s potential to resolve crises in the region.

The Islamic Republic of Iran has a constructive and instrumental role in settling conflicts in the region and Iran’s potentialities should be utilized to resolve the current regional crises, Ban said in a meeting with FM Muhammad Javad Zarif in New York. He also described Iran as a key player in the Persian Gulf region.