Arab News | UN chief urges diplomacy in US-Iran war, restoration of shipping rights

LONDON: UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Tuesday called for an end to the US-Iran war and the restoration of freedom of navigation, warning of the conflict’s toll on global trade as he began an official visit to Pakistan.

“From Islamabad, I want to send a loud and clear message to all parties,” Guterres told reporters in the capital. “End the conflict. Return to diplomacy. Fully restore navigational rights and freedoms in accordance with international law.”

The conflict began in late February with joint US-Israeli strikes on Iran. Tehran responded with attacks on targets in Gulf countries and Jordan, and blocked transit through the Strait of Hormuz, a critical route for shipments of crude oil, fertilizers and liquefied natural gas.

Hundreds of ships and their crews have been stranded at sea for months.

Fighting has also spread to Yemen’s Red Sea coast, where the Iran-backed Houthi militia is battling Yemeni government troops for control of the Bab Al-Mandab Strait, another key shipping passage.

Against that backdrop, Guterres praised Pakistan’s efforts to bring Washington and Tehran into talks.

“Your efforts helped deliver the June 17 Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding, the subsequent ceasefire and the framework for further negotiations,” he said, adding that “every Pakistani should be proud of that pivotal role.”

Guterres said that lasting peace in the region also depended on fulfilling the Palestinians’ right to self-determination.