Saudi and Bahraini Ministers Warn UN of Gulf Security Crisis

Foreign ministers from Saudi Arabia and Bahrain warned the United Nations General Assembly on September 26 and 27 that inaction regarding Middle East waterway disruptions threatens international energy security and global trade. Prince Faisal bin Farhan, Saudi Foreign Minister, condemned attacks by Iran and Houthi militias on Saudi Arabia and the blocking of shipping in the Strait of Hormuz and the Bab Al Mandab Strait. These disruptions followed a war launched by the United States and Israel against Iran in February.

Prince Faisal demanded that navigation in the Strait of Hormuz return to its pre-February 28 status and rejected Iranian proposals to impose transit fees on civilian vessels. His address followed a decision by U.S. President Donald Trump to reject an Iranian offer to reopen the strait in exchange for a ceasefire and the release of frozen assets. Beyond maritime security, Prince Faisal advocated for a two-state solution for Palestinian territories and a political resolution in Yemen.

Bahraini Foreign Minister Abdullatif Al Zayani described the current situation as the most severe security crisis in decades. He accused Iran of launching waves of unjustified ballistic missile and drone attacks against civilian infrastructure and energy facilities in Arab states. Al Zayani asserted that transit rights through the Strait of Hormuz are guaranteed under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea and warned that disrupting these waterways drives up global food and energy prices.