New York (Web Desk): Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan has underscored the need to protect freedom of navigation across international waterways, particularly the Strait of Hormuz, Bab al-Mandab, the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden.
Addressing the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), he said that the security of the Gulf is closely tied to the security of the wider region and the world, noting that stability in the strategically important area has a direct impact on global energy supplies, international commerce and the strength of global supply chains.
Prince Faisal said protecting maritime routes and ensuring the uninterrupted movement of global supply chains is a collective responsibility that can only be achieved through meaningful international cooperation.
“In this regard, the kingdom stresses the importance of ensuring freedom of navigation in all international waterways, foremost among them the Strait of Hormuz, the Bab al-Mandab, the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden,” he said.
He further called for the situation in the Strait of Hormuz to return to its pre-February 28 status, with no fees or restrictions imposed on navigation. Riyadh, he said, opposes any attempt to turn these waterways into an “instrument of pressure, threat or harm” against other countries.
Saudi Arabia cautioned UN member states that any effort to obstruct major waterways in the Middle East could pose a serious risk to global energy security, while urging the international community to take stronger measures to safeguard freedom of navigation.
“The international community has been absent from assuming its responsibilities in confronting all that threatens international peace and security,” Prince Faisal told the UNGA
The Saudi foreign minister also welcomed a UN Security Council statement condemning attacks against the kingdom by Yemen’s Houthi rebels and called on the international community to denounce all actions carried out by the militia.
Prince Faisal urged countries to reject the “Houthi terrorist militia’s aggression and criminal acts that threaten the security of navigation in the Red Sea and Bab al-Mandab Strait”.
He also said “flagrant” Iranian strikes had targeted security facilities along with civilian and economic sites in Saudi Arabia and other countries in the region.
“The kingdom reiterates its full right to protect its security and sovereignty, its citizens and residents and its national resources,” he said in his address.
“We call upon the international community to shoulder its responsibilities in confronting all threats to international peace and security,” Prince Faisal added.