Direct US–Venezuela Flights Resume After Seven-Year Suspension

Mintesinot Niggusie

UN Secretary-General António Guterres has warned that escalating tensions in the Middle East are worsening risks to the global economy, citing disruptions to navigation through the Strait of Hormuz as a key pressure point for energy and trade flows.

In a post on social media, Guterres said restrictions on navigational rights and freedoms in the Strait are affecting energy, transport, manufacturing and food markets, adding that the situation is “strangling the global economy”.

“The consequences of the Middle East crisis grow dramatically worse with each passing hour,” he said, calling for dialogue and “solutions that pull us back from the brink” as well as measures to open a pathway to peace.

The warning comes against the backdrop of the Strait’s central role in global commerce, with international trade data showing it handles a significant share of global seaborne oil shipments and serves as a critical corridor for liquefied natural gas and other commodities.

Shipping disruptions in the area have already led to reduced vessel movements and increased operational costs, including higher insurance premiums and freight rates, according to maritime and trade monitoring agencies.

UN-linked agencies have also flagged wider spillover risks, noting that disruptions to the corridor can affect supply chains for energy, fertilizers and agricultural inputs, with implications for food prices and inflation.

Maritime authorities, including the International Maritime Organization, have repeatedly stressed the importance of safeguarding freedom of navigation through strategic waterways such as the Strait of Hormuz, warning that instability in such corridors poses systemic risks to global trade stability.