UN Secretary-General António Guterres proposed yesterday, Monday, that the international organization take on a role in “facilitate” the maritime transport of fertilizers, which is currently being disrupted by the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.
“The goal is simple: to reduce immediate risks, support more coordinated and predictable transport, and (help) rebuild the trust needed for diplomacy and de-escalation,” the UN chief emphasized during a press conference in New York.
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After launching a process on the issue in March, Mr. Guterres proposed the creation of “a mechanism for recording and verifying ships carrying, at least in the first year, fertilizers and related products.”
The initiative will be supplemented by an incident prevention mechanism to be piloted by Oman.
“The mechanism would not authorize passage through the Strait of Hormuz, nor would it alter the rights or obligations of member states under international law,” Mr. Guterres further noted.
“We are fully prepared to put it into operation,” although it is clear that this does not mean that “all countries involved in this conflict accept the mechanism,” he added, noting that the UN intends to play the role of a “neutral” “facilitator.”
In retaliation for the U.S.-Israeli bombings on its territory on February 28—the trigger for the war in the Middle East— Iran closed the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz, through which, prior to the armed conflict, one-fifth of the world’s hydrocarbons consumed passed.
Tehran has announced that it intends to impose fees for services provided to transiting ships, a move categorically rejected by the U.S. and some regional states.
On the other hand, U.S. President Donald Trump asserts that Washington has “absolute control” over the strait, which, according to him, will become, after the war, “U.S. territory.”
Source: CNA
