The organization’s spokesperson says that the current scenario is “a huge problem for the world”; Negotiations for definitive reopening are at a standstill
The UN (United Nations) stated, on Monday (May 18, 2026), that the blockade and restrictions on the movement of goods in the Strait of Hormuz could result in serious consequences for the global economy, such as a possible global food crisis. The information is from via Reuters.
UN Deputy Spokesperson Farhan Haq classified the current scenario as “a huge problem for the world”. He also said that the organization’s secretary-general, António Guterres, defends the immediate restoration of freedom of navigation in the region, in accordance with the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.
Asked whether blocking the transport of fertilizers and humanitarian goods could be classified as a crime against humanity, the spokesperson did not use the legal term, but highlighted that the scarcity of these inputs and fuel will drastically affect the countries most vulnerable to economic shocks.
The statement comes after Iran announced the creation of the PGSA (Persian Gulf Straits Authority), a new entity designed to supervise and control access to the waterway. Haq emphasized that the UN rejects any mechanism that limits international traffic and reiterated the desire to guarantee complete freedom of navigation.
The Hormuz dispute
The Strait of Hormuz is the world’s most important maritime route for transporting oil and natural gas. The current crisis in the region involves strategic decisions by Tehran and Washington. The Iranian government has determined that navigation through the canal now depends on prior coordination with its armed forces, considering any passage without prior authorization illegal and prohibiting the transit of vessels linked to countries that attacked Iranian territory.
Iran plans to submit a protocol to allow vessels to pass through the Strait of Hormuz, but ships from the United States, Israel and countries that supported the war will not be able to travel through the sea. The information comes from Esmaeil Baqaei, spokesperson for the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, according to .
Although a ceasefire has been in force for 5 weeks, US and Iranian forces have engaged in multiple direct clashes in and around the strait. The interruption in the flow of cargo ships sent oil prices soaring on the international market, generating the biggest supply crisis in the history of the fuel sector.
Deadlocked negotiations
The plans for the definitive reopening of the canal and the consolidation of peace are at a standstill. The mediation, led by the Pakistani government, faces serious impasses due to divergent demands on Iran’s nuclear program and regulatory sovereignty over the straits.
On Monday (May 18), Iran presented a revised proposal to the Americans, but expressed distrust. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi stated that “contradictory messages” issued by Washington leave Tehran fearful about the real intentions of the United States in formal negotiations.
Araqchi stated that the mediation process is in progress “difficulty”but ruled out that it had completely failed. He stressed that the country prefers to give diplomacy a chance to maintain the ceasefire, although it is prepared to resume armed fighting if negotiations collapse.
Previously, on Friday (May 15), US President Donald Trump (Republican Party) had publicly stated that his patience with the Iranian government was “running out”. In direct dialogue with the President of China, Xi Jinping, he said that he obtained Beijing’s agreement that the Strait of Hormuz must be reopened immediately to guarantee the stability of global trade.
