UN chief urges respect for navigational rights, freedom in Strait of Hormuz
A vessel at the Strait of Hormuz, off the coast of Oman’s Musandam province. PHOTO: REUTERS
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned on Tuesday that respect for international law was eroding globally, particularly in the Middle East, cautioning that the consequences could deepen instability and conflict.
"Around the world, and starkly in the Middle East, respect for international law is being trampled," Guterres told reporters during a news conference at the UN headquarters in New York, saying that "rules governing the use of force and the conduct of hostilities are ignored."
Warning of broader risks, Guterres described international law as "indispensable" and said, "Without it, instability spreads, mistrust deepens, and conflicts spiral out of control."
On the situation in the Middle East, he stressed that "there is no military solution to this crisis" and that "peace agreements require persistent engagement and political will".
Urging renewed diplomacy, Guterres said that "serious negotiations must resume" and emphasised that "the ceasefire must be preserved".
"And international navigational rights and freedoms, including in the Strait of Hormuz, must be respected by all parties," he added.
When asked if he is aware of the possibility of resuming US-Iran negotiations, Guterres said, "The indication we have is that it is highly probable that these talks will restart," and pointed to his latest talk with Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar.
The UN chief turned his attention to Lebanon as he described talks between Israel and Lebanon as "very important" to pave the way for creating conditions to change course on the ground.
"The truth is that Hezbollah and Israel have always helped each other to destabilise the government of Lebanon," he added.
The first full day of a US blockade on vessels calling at Iranian ports made little difference to Strait of Hormuz traffic, with at least eight ships, including three Iran-linked tankers, crossing the waterway, shipping data showed.
Read More: Trump says Iran talks could resume over next two days in Pakistan
US President Donald Trump announced the blockade on Sunday after weekend peace talks in Islamabad between the US and Iran failed to reach a deal.
The blockade has created even further uncertainty for shippers, oil companies and war risk insurers. Traffic remains at only a fraction of the 130-plus daily crossings before the US and Israel's war on Iran began on February 28, industry sources said on Tuesday.
"During the first 24 hours, no ships made it past the US blockade," the US Central Command said on X, adding that six vessels complied with the direction from US forces to turn around to re-enter an Iranian port.
More than 10,000 U.S. Sailors, Marines, and Airmen along with over a dozen warships and dozens of aircraft are executing the mission to blockade ships entering and departing Iranian ports. During the first 24 hours, no ships made it past the U.S. blockade and 6 merchant vessels… pic.twitter.com/dpWAAknzQp
The three Iran-linked vessels that transited the strait were not heading to Iranian ports and were not affected by the blockade.
Panama-flagged Peace Gulf, a medium-range tanker, is heading to Hamriyah port in the United Arab Emirates, LSEG data showed.
The vessel typically moves Iranian naphtha, a petrochemical feedstock, to other non-Iranian Middle Eastern ports for export to Asia, Kpler data showed.
Before this, two US-sanctioned tankers passed through the narrow waterway.
Handy tanker Murlikishan is heading to Iraq to load fuel oil on April 16, according to Kpler data. The vessel, formerly known as MKA, has transported Russian and Iranian oil.
Another sanctioned tanker, Rich Starry, would be the first to make it through the strait and to exit the Gulf since the blockade began, data from LSEG and Kpler showed.
The tanker and its owner, Shanghai Xuanrun Shipping Co, were placed under US sanctions for dealing with Iran. The company could not be reached for immediate comment.
Rich Starry is a medium-range tanker carrying about 250,000 barrels of methanol, according to the data. It loaded the cargo at its last port of call, the UAE's Hamriyah, the data showed.
The Chinese-owned tanker has a Chinese crew on board, the data showed.
China's foreign ministry said on Tuesday that a US blockade of Iranian ports is "dangerous and irresponsible", warning that it would only aggravate tensions. The ministry did not mention whether Chinese ships were passing the strait.
Five other vessels had sailed through the strait since the blockade began at 1400 GMT on Monday. These comprised two other chemical and gas tankers, two dry bulk vessels and the Ocean Energy cargo ship that docked at Iran's Bandar Abbas port.
A US military note sent to mariners and seen by Reuters said that humanitarian shipments would be exempt from the blockade.
"The United States does not need to block every type of ship or enter the Strait of Hormuz; it can carry out an intermittent blockade," said Fabrizio Coticchia, professor of political science at Italy's University of Genoa.
"Ships will not be attacked, but rather diverted," Coticchia said, adding that US warships would be located outside of the strait in the Gulf of Oman.
While the cost of war-risk insurance has not increased since the blockade began, it remains at hundreds of thousands of dollars in additional weekly costs, with cover typically reviewed by underwriters every 48 hours, industry sources said.
"A return to ‘normality’ in the Middle East arguably now appears more distant than it did one week ago, especially given that the US Navy has started a blockade," ship broker BRS said in a report.
"It is anticipated that there will be little or no commercial traffic in the strait for the foreseeable future."