(October 2, 2026)
„The high seas are not a sanctuary for lawlessness,“ said Adm. Kevin Lunday, commandant of the Coast Guard. „Dark fleet actors who employ deceptive tactics to engage in illicit activities will not evade justice. The Coast Guard is bringing every capability to bear to interdict these vessels and uphold international law.“
We live at a dangerous moment.
But our future is not predetermined.
War is a choice.
Peace is also a choice.
And sometimes —
the greater courage, lies, not in starting a war —
but in preventing one.
Pakistan has made its choice.
We have chosen dialogue over confrontation.
We have chosen cooperation over coercion.
We have chosen peace over war.
Let this eighty-first General Assembly make it unanimous choice.
For ourselves.
For our children.
And for generations yet unborn.
Let us restore trust. Let us preserve peace.
And let us prove that even in a divided world —
humanity can still choose to stand together.
I thank you.
Transcript & summary
Continuing his remarks to the UNGA, Pakistan’s Shehbaz Sharif called the Strait of Hormuz and the Bab al-Mandeb strait “arteries of the global economy” that should remain free and safe.
“They must remain open, connecting nations, not becoming chokepoints of confrontation,” said Sharif. “These waters must carry the promise of prosperity, not the perils of war.”
Cuba suffered a total blackout after the collapse of its electrical grid on Friday. The blackout is the latest of at least six partial or total grid collapses since the beginning of this year, as the island grapples with an ongoing US fuel blockade.
The U.S. military attacked a boat suspected of being used to smuggle drugs in the Caribbean Sea on Saturday, killing four people, as the Trump administration continues its monthslong campaign against alleged traffickers in Latin America.
The latest attack brings the number of people who have been killed in boat strikes by the U.S. military to at least 231 in 69 strikes since the Trump administration began targeting those it calls „narcoterrorists“ about one year ago.
The Commission condemns the attacks carried out by the Houthis against civilian targets and economic infrastructure in Saudi Arabia, as well as attacks and threats against commercial shipping in the Red Sea.
The Commission expresses particular concern over reports of attempted attacks targeting Makkah and other holy cities of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. It stresses that holy sites, as well as civilians and pilgrims visiting them, must be fully protected and must under no circumstances become targets of military action.
The Commission further strongly reaffirms the principle of freedom of navigation in the Red Sea and through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, in accordance with international law. Any action aimed at obstructing or threatening navigation along this strategic maritime route poses a serious risk not only to the littoral States, but also to international trade, global supply chains, energy security and African economies.
The organisation also emphasised that the security of the Red Sea and the Bab al-Mandeb strait was “a major strategic interest for Africa, particularly for the States of the Horn of Africa and the Red Sea littoral States”.
The commission joined a number of other states, global organisations, and individuals that also came forward to condemn ongoing attacks.
Italy will deploy warships to ensure safe passage for its commercial vessels through the Bab al-Mandeb strait, Defence Minister Guido Crosetto said, adding that Rome would not wait for a joint decision from the European Union.
“We have the capabilities to protect the passage,” Crosetto said, warning that if the waterway became impassable, the economic consequences would be severe.
(September 16, 2026)
Minister of Foreign Affairs Antonio Tajani had a telephone conversation today with the Yemeni Minister of Foreign Affairs Al-Zouba. During the conversation, Tajani expressed Italy’s concern at the ongoing escalation in the country, reiterating its firm condemnation of the recent attacks by Houthi militias against the civilian population, the Yemeni regular forces and Saudi Arabia.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs then expressed Italy’s full support for the internationally recognised government of Yemen, as well as Italy’s commitment to facilitating the resumption of the peace process and to providing humanitarian assistance to the local population, which has been ravaged by years of conflict.
In der internationalen Berichterstattung wird das Ergebnis überwiegend als militärischer Erfolg AnsarAllahs dargestellt. Ein genauerer Blick auf die von CNN rekonstruierten Abläufe zeigt jedoch ein anderes Bild: weniger einen Sieg der einen Seite als einen aussergewöhnlichen Zusammenbruch der anderen – mit direkter saudischer und US-amerikanischer Beteiligung an diesem Zusammenbruch.
A fire has broken out on board the vessel that was earlier reported to have been hit while transiting the Strait of Hormuz, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) has said.
Local authorities are on the scene and evacuating crew members, UKMTO said in an update.
An Iranian cargo vessel was struck early Sunday off Qeshm Island in the Strait of Hormuz, with one person killed and four wounded, Iranian state media said, a day before Tehran seeks to brief regional countries on its contested efforts to manage shipping traffic there.
The United States has claimed attacks on five Iranian oil tankers after accusing Iran of launching ballistic missiles at a US warship twice in two days.
Iran responded to the attacks on Tuesday by firing missiles at US forces stationed at the Al Azraq base in Jordan. Amman said its air defences intercepted and destroyed 18 of 20 Iranian missiles, while the rest fell in open areas.
The United States military said Saturday its forces struck three Iranian crude oil carriers after the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) launched ballistic missiles toward two US Navy warships.
The fresh exchanges threaten to heighten a shipping war in and beyond the Persian Gulf, as Iran seeks to prevent shipping transiting the Strait of Hormuz without its consent and the US steps up targeting of Iranian shipping.
“There are foreign companies that have yielded to this pressure and have withdrawn from the country. Others remain and continue working with us,” the Deputy Prime Minister stated.
According to Pérez-Oliva, the intensification of the blockade has severed Cuba’s banking and financial relations with numerous institutions and imposes a trade embargo through direct threats against international shipping companies.
The Minister of Foreign Trade and Foreign Investment explained that Cuba has containers being held in international ports because some shipping companies have suspended services to the island, while others are operating under “restrictions imposed illegally and unilaterally by the United States.”
US Vice President JD Vance told reporters on Thursday that the United States does not plan to hold talks with Iran unless Tehran stops attacking commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.
„They‘ve got to stop. It‘s that simple,“ he said.
US Central Command (CENTCOM) announced on Thursday that its forces had redirected 87 commercial vessels, disabled three and boarded two under Washington‘s blockade against Iran in regional waters as of Sept. 3.
(September 1, 2026)
The U.S. military attacked two Iranian government tankers as part of the round of strikes that took place on Tuesday, U.S. officials said.
Why it matters: This is the first time the U.S. military has struck Iranian tankers in retaliation for Iranian attacks on ships in the Strait of Hormuz — rather than to prevent them from violating the naval blockade.
It appears that keeping the Strait of Hormuz open is the main goal of the United States.
What we also know is that the wider strategy – based on the military activity that has occurred in the last week – involves preventing Iran from blocking shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the Kingdom strongly condemned the targeting of the vessel by Iran and expressed its rejection of Iranian attacks against Jordan, Bahrain and Kuwait.
“The Kingdom also condemns the Iranian attacks targeting Jordan, Bahrain and Kuwait, and affirms its full support and solidarity with the brotherly countries in the measures they take to protect their security and sovereignty from any threat,” the ministry said in a statement.
Two Filipino sailors were killed in an attack on an oil tanker in the Strait of Hormuz on Monday, Saudi Arabia‘s national shipping company Bahri said on Wednesday.
„Bahri confirms that its vessel SIDR was involved in a security incident while transiting the Strait of Hormuz“ on the evening of 31 August, the carrier said on X, confirming „the loss of its two Filipino seafarers as a result“ of the attack.
Oil prices surged Tuesday following U.S. military action against Iranian targets in the Strait of Hormuz, a retaliatory move after Tehran launched overnight attacks on vessels passing through the waterway.
(Updated 6 hours ago)
Two supertankers carrying Saudi oil were struck by unknown projectiles within minutes of each other while transiting outbound through the Strait of Hormuz late on Monday, according to shipping intelligence and tracking firms Marisks and Kpler.
„The near-simultaneous incidents represent a further escalation in the threat environment within the Omani corridor,“ Marisks said.
The on-again, off-again conflict, characterized by tit-for-tat retaliatory strikes, is a lose-lose situation for both parties and for the region as a whole, yet we are unlikely to escape this tragic dynamic unless more realist strategic thinking prevails in both Washington and Tehran. Neither side can “win” this war, but they can cut their losses before they incur even higher human, financial, and military costs. The realist school of thought offers a compelling diagnosis of this conflict, and points the way to a mutually beneficial conclusion.
Oman‘s Foreign Minister Sayyid Badr Albusaidi will visit Tehran on Tuesday to continue talks between Iran and Oman on the Strait of Hormuz, Iran‘s Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said on Monday.
(August 21, 2026)
Mr Trump himself agreed in a signed document that Oman would “conduct dialogue” with Iran to define the future administration and maritime services in the strait.
“Oman’s negotiations with Iran over a mechanism to manage the Strait of Hormuz appear to have been a bilateral Iran-Oman effort, though it’s true that the memorandum of understanding from June endorsed a 60-day Iranian-Omani mechanism,” Marc Sievers, former US ambassador to Oman, told The National. “It is also true that the US and Iran understood this point differently, which led to the collapse of the MoU.”
The Sultanate of Oman and Japan underlined the importance of reaching a final agreement and a political solution to reduce tensions in the region.
They also called for intensified international efforts to ensure freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz in accordance with international law and to maintain the smooth flow of maritime transport and energy supplies.
This was stated during a joint press conference held at the Foreign Ministry by Oman’s Foreign Minister Sayyid Badr Albusaidi and Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi.
The Omani and Japanese foreign ministers have emphasised the need to intensify international efforts to ensure the freedom of maritime navigation in the Strait of Hormuz in accordance with international law.
Badr bin Hamad Al Busaidi met Motegi Toshimitsu in Muscat.
(July 14, 2026)
“One issue demands immediate attention. As widely reported, complex discussions are currently being held with the aim of devising a long-term arrangement for freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz. As one of the two states with territorial waters in the Strait, Oman has a special responsibility to work with both Iran – which is the other state whose territorial waters include part of the Strait – and the wider international community of Strait users to find a practical, durable and legal arrangement for free navigation. The international community needs a successful outcome from these consultations; free navigation through the Strait of Hormuz is vital for the global economy