UN Secretary General António Guterres on Sunday urged Iran and the US must urgently restart negotiations as hostilities have increased in and around the Strait of Hormuz, warning that further escalation could have devastating consequences for regional and global security.
Guterres said He was “deeply concerned by the serious escalation” and stressed that a return to full-scale hostilities would have “catastrophic consequences” for the people of the region, international peace and security, and the global economy. He also stressed the need to ensure full freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz.
The USA on Saturday announced that it attacked about 140 targets after accusing the Iranian military of attacking a merchant ship passing through the Strait of Hormuz. Later the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) of Iran claims Responsibility for attacks on a US military base in Jordan. Also Iranian missiles and drones allegedly In response to the US attacks, the attacks targeted the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Kuwait and Oman.
US Central Command (CENTCOM) claimed that the IRGC “flagrantly attacked” a Cyprus-flagged container ship transiting the Strait of Hormuz. In response, the IRGC claims that it had only fired a warning shot at a ship attempting to use an unauthorized shipping route and subsequently declared the strait closed. Also the IRGC sentenced what it described as “external interference by foreign powers” and accused several ships of attempting to navigate the waterway on unauthorized routes.
Separately the British maritime trading operations (UKMTO) Center reported that crew members aboard a container ship damaged near the Strait of Hormuz were forced to abandon ship. The agency was unable to identify the ship.
The escalating conflict has disrupted maritime traffic through one of the world’s busiest shipping corridors. According to the United Nations, about 6,000 sailors remain stranded aboard dozens of ships in the region. The head of the United Nations International Maritime Organization (IMO) earlier this week urged Merchant shipping should avoid transiting the Strait of Hormuz until the necessary safety conditions are in place.
