Saudi Arabia warns at the UN that attempts to block Middle East sea lanes threaten global energy security and says the international community is not doing enough to defend freedom of navigation. Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan makes the remarks to the United Nations General Assembly, urging greater protection of key waterways.
The statement links recent disruptions to tensions in the region. It says that since late February, when the United States and Israel began a war on Iran, Tehran disrupts shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. It also says Iran’s Houthi allies in Yemen have disrupted shipping through the Bab al-Mandab Strait. Both straits are described as vital for oil and gas exports.
Bin Farhan also calls for guarantees of navigation protections across multiple routes, including the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, and raises the broader issue of international responsibility for peace and security. Both outlets report the same core message and sequence of events; the Philippines outlet frames the item as UN-based and provides a fuller dateline, while not adding substantially different details.
