UN chief says Strait of Hormuz transit near halt as global trade disruption deepens

UNITED NATIONS — UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said on Monday that attacks and shipping disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz and the Red Sea are severely restricting the movement of energy, fertilizer and other essential goods. Speaking at the United Nations, Guterres said attacks linked to the Ukraine war are threatening the main export routes for oil, grain and agricultural products, tightening global trade and adding pressure on food systems. Guterres said transit through the Strait of Hormuz has nearly come to a standstill. He noted that oil prices remain about 33 percent higher than at the start of the war, global container freight rates have risen 84 percent compared with last year, and the cost of fertilizer and other key inputs has climbed. The secretary-general stressed that freedom of navigation is not an abstract principle but part of international law and essential to international peace and security. He said a UN working group was established in March to address humanitarian needs related to the strait, with an initial confidence-building mechanism focused on fertilizer and raw materials. According to Guterres, the mechanism does not authorize transit and does not alter member states' rights and obligations under international law. He said the UN would act as a neutral facilitator to reduce risks and support more regular passage, adding that the mechanism could be put into operation quickly but requires cooperation and political will from the parties to succeed.