UN urges restraint as US-Iran tensions rise in Strait of Hormuz

The United Nations on Friday, May 8, voiced concern over reported recent exchanges of fire in the Strait of Hormuz, warning that the situation represents a “critical moment” for de-escalation amid heightened regional tensions.

“What I can tell you is that the secretary-general is concerned by the reported recent exchange of fire in the Strait of Hormuz,” UN spokesperson Farhan Haq told reporters.

“He underscores that this is a critical moment for de-escalation, and urges all sides to exercise maximum restraint to avoid further escalation,” he added.

Haq said the UN is calling “for all the parties to fully abide by the ceasefire and refrain from any actions that could lead to any renewed escalation.”

He also confirmed that diplomatic efforts aimed at reopening the Strait of Hormuz are continuing despite renewed hostilities in and around the strategic waterway between US and Iranian forces.

“There is an effort underway,” Haq said when asked about mediation initiatives.

According to the spokesperson, Jorge Moreira da Silva, head of the UN Office for Project Services (UNOPS), has been actively consulting with countries in the region and conducting talks in New York, including with Iran’s permanent representative to the United Nations.

“So he is keeping that dialogue up, and we’re seeing where we can go with that,” Haq said.

In a letter sent on Friday to the UN Security Council and Mr Guterres, Iran’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Amir Saeed Iravani, stated that the consequences of recent US actions in the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz “could be catastrophic” and extend far beyond the Middle East.

He called on the Secretary-General and the Security Council to urge the US “to abide by its obligations under international law and refrain from further provocative actions”.

The remarks come amid renewed hostilities between Iranian and US forces in and around the Strait of Hormuz, a critical global shipping route through which roughly one-fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas passes each day.

The escalating insecurity has fueled concerns over rising energy prices, increased shipping and insurance costs, and potential disruptions to global trade flows, including fertiliser exports and agricultural supply chains. Despite the tensions, neither side has announced a collapse of the truce, and diplomatic efforts to reach a permanent end to the conflict are ongoing.

 By Tamilla Hasanova