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The Strait of Hormuz which separates the United Arab Emirates and Iran is a strategically important shipping route

Strait of Hormuz de-escalation is urgent, says UN chief

By Daniel Johnson

11 May 2026 Peace and Security

As the Strait of Hormuz crisis deepens and tensions between Iran and the United States remain unresolved, oil prices rose again early Monday, prompting the UN Secretary-General to call for a peaceful resolution and warn of the widening fallout across Africa and beyond.

“My strong appeal is for the negotiations to go on until that diplomatic solution is found, the ceasefire to be maintained, and in between, the Strait of Hormuz to be completely open… Any restart of the fighting would have terrible consequences ,” António Guterres said.

Speaking in Nairobi ahead of the Africa Forward Summit, the UN chief insisted that the Middle East emergency was no “distant crisis”, as roughly 13 per cent of Africa’s imports of largely oil and fertilizers move through…