DUBAI: More than 20 countries on Saturday expressed their willingness to contribute to efforts aimed at ensuring safe passage through the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz, strongly condemning Iran’s effective closure of the crucial waterway.
The joint statement by the coalition of nations comes amid growing concerns over disruptions to global shipping and energy supplies caused by rising regional tensions.
“We condemn in the strongest terms recent attacks by Iran on unarmed commercial vessels in the Gulf, attacks on civilian infrastructure including oil and gas installations, and the de facto closure of the Strait of Hormuz by Iranian forces,” said the 22 countries, mostly European but also including the UAE and Bahrain.
“We express our readiness to contribute to appropriate efforts to ensure safe passage through the Strait. We welcome the commitment of nations who are engaging in preparatory planning,” they said in a joint statement.
The United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Japan, Canada, South Korea, United Arab Emirates, Bahrain are among those who signed the statement.
Following the strikes by the United States and Israel on Iran on February 28, Tehran has carried out retaliatory attacks targeting both its Gulf neighbours and commercial vessels passing through the Strait of Hormuz.
Between March 1 and 19, only 116 commodity carriers navigated the strait, representing a 95 percent decline compared to normal peacetime traffic, according to data from analytics firm Kpler.
Iran’s effective blockade of the Strait of Hormuz — a critical maritime chokepoint responsible for roughly 20 percent of global oil and gas shipments — coupled with repeated attacks on energy infrastructure across the Middle East, has driven energy prices sharply higher, exacerbating concerns over global supply and market stability.
“We call for an immediate comprehensive moratorium on attacks on civilian infrastructure, including oil and gas installations,” the countries added.
