UAE: “Strait of Hormuz cannot be held hostage by any country”

Anwar Gargash, diplomatic advisor to the UAE president, stated that the Strait of Hormuz cannot be used as a bargaining tool, emphasising that its security is a global economic imperative rather than a regional lever.

Gargash said any resolution of the US-Iran conflict must guarantee freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz, warning that an agreement unable to curb Iran’s nuclear program, as well as its missile and drone capabilities, would pave the way for “a more dangerous, more ‌volatile Middle East,” Reuters reports.

“The Strait of Hormuz cannot be held hostage by any country,” Gargash said, adding that freedom of navigation through this waterway “has to be part and parcel of the settlement of any ​conflict with clear agreement on that.”

He noted that the UAE seeks an end to the war but cautioned against a ceasefire that fails to address the root causes of instability. 

“We don’t ​want to see more and more escalation,” he said. “But we don’t want a ceasefire that fails to address some of the main issues ⁠that will create a much more dangerous environment in the region...notably (Iran's) nuclear programme, the missiles and drones that are still raining down on us and on other countries.”

Earlier, US President Donald Trump warned that he would unleash "hell" on Tehran if Iran failed to reach a deal and reopen the Strait of Hormuz by his April 7 deadline. 

On April 5, he posted on his Truth Social platform, using explicit language, threatening additional attacks on Iranian energy and transport infrastructure, which critics argue could amount to war crimes.

By Jeyhun Aghazada