UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Wednesday expressed alarm over renewed military confrontations in the Gulf, urging steps to de-escalate and resume negotiations for a durable solution to the Middle East conflict. His spokesperson, Stephane Dujarric, read a statement at the regular noon briefing at UN headquarters in New York, warning that these incidents risk derailing diplomatic progress achieved between Iran and the United States.
Catastrophic Consequences Warning
The statement emphasized that a return to full-scale hostilities would have catastrophic consequences for the peoples of the region, international peace and security, and the global economy. The UN chief called on all parties to exercise maximum restraint, avoid further escalation, and take immediate de-escalation steps, recalling their obligation to comply fully with international law, including protection of civilians and civilian infrastructure, and respect for navigational rights and freedoms.
Call for Urgent Diplomacy
Guterres urged Iran and the United States to urgently resume negotiations and address outstanding issues through diplomacy. The United Nations remains committed to supporting all efforts to prevent a return to conflict, restore stability, and advance a comprehensive and durable resolution, the statement added.
Strait of Hormuz Attacks Disrupt Energy Markets
Renewed attacks on shipping in the Strait of Hormuz unsettled energy markets on Wednesday, prompting calls from the UN maritime agency, the International Maritime Organization (IMO), for maximum restraint and de-escalation. Reports indicate three merchant vessels were hit along with Iranian targets. IMO Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez condemned the reckless attacks over the past two days against several ships transiting the narrow waterway, a vital conduit for a significant proportion of the world's energy needs.
Seafarers at Risk
Dominguez stated, 'These reckless attacks have again placed innocent seafarers in grave danger. No seafarer should have to risk their life simply for doing their job.' He warned flag states, shipowners, and operators not to expose seafarers to unnecessary danger by transiting the Strait. Some 6,000 seafarers remain stranded in the channel on hundreds of vessels. Previously, around 130 ships transited daily, but that number is vastly reduced now, though shipping levels picked up before the latest escalation following a temporary ceasefire agreement—part of the Islamabad memorandum of understanding—between the US and Iran last month.
Economic and Energy Impacts
The UN Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) stated that the challenging situation for countries relying on Gulf energy is set to continue after more than 100 days of disruption. Dario Liguti, Director of the Energy, Housing and Land Management Division at UNECE, said, 'We can expect prices and price volatility to remain high and supply disruptions – especially in local markets – to continue for the months ahead.' He explained that although a global shortage of fuel and fertilizers has been avoided, the effects of this year's disruption will still be felt even if the situation normalizes rapidly.
Strategic Oil Reserves at Historic Lows
Strategic oil reserves are at their lowest levels for decades, Liguti stressed. 'If the instability does continue, we should get ready for another rise in prices and a larger-scale raw material shortage,' he told UN News. Compounding these shocks are extreme heatwaves this summer, fueled by a strong El Niño expected to strengthen in coming months, increasing energy consumption for cooling, impacting energy infrastructure, and affecting water availability for power plant cooling.
Call for Resilience and Efficiency
To counter these impacts, including on public transport networks, Liguti stressed the need to urgently build resilience to renewed energy shocks, save energy through efficiency measures, reduce pressure on limited resources by cutting overall energy consumption, and stock up on reserves. 'Longer term, we are also seeing renewed interest in many countries in investing in domestic energy production and distribution capacity and renewables,' he noted.
