UN urges renewed talks and respect for maritime law as Middle East conflict disrupts shipping and food supplies

The United Nations said there is "no military solution to the current conflict in the Middle East" and urged continued diplomacy after talks hosted by Pakistan in Islamabad produced no agreement but were a "positive and meaningful full step" toward renewed dialogue. The Secretary-General called for the talks to continue constructively and for strict respect of the ceasefire.

The briefing flagged immediate maritime consequences: the spokesman said about 20,000 seafarers are currently stranded on ships and that disruptions through the Strait of Hormuz have already had knock-on effects on global trade. Steph said the disruption of fertilizer and related raw materials "is already having a very negative impact on agriculture, worsening the perspectives of food insecurity." She added that freedom of navigation must be respected in line with international law.

UN Office for Project Services Executive Director Jorge Moreira da Silva, working with UNCTAD, the International Maritime Organization and the International Chamber of Commerce, is "engaging extensively" to design and operationalize a mechanism for the Strait of Hormuz announced on March 27; the spokesman emphasized the effort remains in consultation and is not yet operationalized. In response to a reporter question about an announced U.S. naval blockade, Steph said the UN supports the current mediators (Pakistan, Türkiye, Egypt and Saudi Arabia), hopes talks will resume at various levels, and reiterated the call for the ceasefire to hold and maritime rights to be respected.

The briefing closed with the UN reiterating that it wants to see freedom of navigation restored "fully by everyone" and that further escalation would harm civilians and global economic stability.