More than 20 countries say they want to contribute to efforts for safe passage in Hormuz strait
"We express our readiness to contribute to appropriate efforts to ensure safe passage through the Strait," said the 22 countries.
· CNA · JoinRead a summary of this article on FAST.
Get bite-sized news via a new
cards interface. Give it a try.
Click here to return to FAST Tap here to return to FAST
FAST
DUBAI: More than 20 countries on Saturday (Mar 21) said they would contribute to efforts ensuring safe passage in the Strait of Hormuz, condemning Iran's closure of the vital waterway.
"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.
After the US and Israel launched attacks on Iran on Feb 28, Tehran has retaliated with strikes on its Gulf neighbours but also on vessels in the strait.
From Mar 1 to Mar 19, commodities carriers made just 116 crossings, according to analytics firm Kpler - a decrease of 95 per cent from peacetime averages.
Iran's de facto blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, through which 20 per cent of the world's oil and gas normally flows, and the numerous attacks on oil and gas infrastructure in the Middle East, have sent energy prices soaring.
"We call for an immediate comprehensive moratorium on attacks on civilian infrastructure, including oil and gas installations," the countries added.
Sign up for our newsletters
Get our pick of top stories and thought-provoking articles in your inbox
Get the CNA app
Stay updated with notifications for breaking news and our best stories
Get WhatsApp alerts
Join our channel for the top reads for the day on your preferred chat app