Merve Aydogan
16 March 2026•Update: 17 March 2026
HAMILTON, Canada
The UN on Monday addressed media reports suggesting the possibility of a UN-led initiative for the Strait of Hormuz, saying: "We will not be feeding this speculation.”
"We have seen the speculation in the media about an eventual UN-led initiative around the Strait of Hormuz," UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said during a news conference.
"I can tell you that the Secretary-General remains in very frequent contact with senior officials in the region and beyond," Dujarric said, adding: "We will not be feeding this speculation and will continue to work discreetly."
Dujarric also stressed that the "stakes are too high."
Pointing to the Black Sea grain initiative, Dujarric said that "silence was the much better half of valor" during the run-up of the initiative.
Türkiye first arranged Russia-Ukraine talks in 2022, and later brokered the Black Sea grain deal to facilitate the export of grain and fertilizers from Ukrainian ports amid the war. Russia suspended its participation in July 2023.
The Strait of Hormuz has been at the center of energy market concerns since the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps announced restrictions on most vessels amid US-Israeli attacks against Iran that began on Feb. 28. Before the war, around 20 million barrels of oil passed through the strait daily and its disruption has pushed up oil prices.
US-Israeli attacks on Iran have so far killed more than 1,200 people, including then-Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
Iran has retaliated with drone and missile strikes targeting Israel, Jordan, Iraq, and Gulf countries hosting US military assets.
