UN offers to facilitate fertiliser transit through Strait of Hormuz

UN offers to facilitate fertiliser transit through Strait of Hormuz UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres offered on Monday to facilitate the transit of fertiliser through the Strait of Hormuz which has been disrupted as a result of the US-Israel war on Iran. “The purpose is simple: to reduce immediate risks, support more orderly and predictable transit and help rebuild the confidence necessary for diplomacy and de-escalation,” he said at a news conference. Guterres said the UN “would not authorise passage” through the strait or “alter the rights or obligations” of states under international law, but rather serve as a “neutral facilitator”, registering and verifying ships carrying fertiliser and related products. “Of course, it can only be done if the countries that are involved in this conflict all agree to accept the mechanism,” Guterres said, which would be coordinated by Oman.