United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio discussed today with UN Secretary-General António Guterres the Donald Trump administration’s efforts to end Iran’s “illegal actions” in the Strait of Hormuz.
“We discussed United States efforts at the UN to deter Iran’s illegal actions in the Strait of Hormuz and how the United States rapidly deployed assets to support response efforts to the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda,” the chief of American diplomacy stated on social media when describing his conversation with the former Portuguese prime minister.
The conversation took place one day after Iranian authorities officially announced the creation of the Persian Gulf Strait Authority (PGSA), which will allow the collection of tolls from vessels crossing the Strait of Hormuz, specifying that “passage without permission will be considered illegal.”
Guterres expressed his firm opposition to any “specific entity that restricts” the “freedom of access” to the Strait of Hormuz and once again defended “that there should be no restrictions on the freedom of navigation on the high seas and in the strait.”
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The United States and Iran are involved in a dialogue process mediated by Pakistan, although the divergences in their positions have prevented, up to this moment, a new round of negotiations in Islamabad, the city that hosted the first face-to-face meeting after the ceasefire agreement reached on April 8, which was subsequently extended indefinitely by Trump.
Despite this, both countries maintain contact through the mediation of Islamabad. In an official statement, the United States Department of State added that Rubio also discussed with Guterres Washington’s efforts to prevent the illegal placement of naval mines by Iran in the Strait of Hormuz.
Regarding the conversation he held with Guterres, Rubio indicated that they discussed the necessity of achieving “a more effective, efficient, and accountable organization,” referring directly to the United Nations.
“I spoke with UN Secretary-General António Guterres about advancing the United States President’s vision for a more effective, efficient, and accountable UN organization focused on peace,” wrote the Secretary of State. Rubio also supported the candidacy of the current United States Under Secretary of Agriculture, Luke Lindbergh, for the position of executive director of the UN World Food Programme (WFP).
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“I emphasized that Luke Lindbergh is the right leader for the WFP, and his appointment is essential to ensure the UN operates with the transparency and accountability required to feed the world,” he argued.
The two leaders also discussed the coordination and response efforts of the United States regarding the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and in Uganda. This diplomatic engagement highlights Washington’s dual focus on securing global maritime trade routes while simultaneously managing critical humanitarian crises in Africa.
The meeting concludes a week of intense diplomatic activity at the United Nations headquarters, where international maritime security remains a top priority for the participating member states.
