UN ready to enhance role in resolving Strait of Hormuz crisis

Moscow (ANTARA) - UN Secretary-General António Guterres has stated that the United Nations wishes to contribute to resolving the crisis in the Strait of Hormuz.

“My main goal is to see if it is possible to create conditions in the Strait of Hormuz as they were before. Of course, the context is different and the solution will also be different, but we want to play a role and are ready to manage the system,” Guterres said in an interview with Politico published on Saturday.

He added that the UN is currently working with Gulf countries and maintaining communication with the European Council.

Previously, on Thursday (19/3), Guterres urged Israel and the United States (US) to stop operations against Iran, as they risk spiralling out of control, causing great suffering to civilians and impacting the global economy.

“It is time for the rule of law to prevail over the law of force. It is time for diplomacy to prevail over war,” Guterres told journalists on the sidelines of the European Union leaders’ summit.

The UN Secretary-General urged Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz amid US and Israeli military attacks on the country.

Guterres also called on Iran to halt retaliatory attacks against neighbouring Gulf states, on the grounds that those countries “have never been parties to this conflict.”

“The prolonged closure of the Strait of Hormuz causes great suffering for many people around the world who have no connection to this conflict,” Guterres emphasised.

Previously, on 28 February, the United States and Israel launched attacks on several targets in Iran, including in Tehran, causing various damages and many civilian casualties. Iran then retaliated with attacks on Israeli territory and US military targets in the Middle East.

The US and Israel initially stated that the “preliminary” attacks were necessary to counter threats perceived from Iran’s nuclear programme, but later affirmed their desire to see a change in the regime in Iran.