By Simpson Global Media News Desk
International pressure to restore freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz intensified on Thursday, September 24, after about 80 countries called for the urgent reopening of the strategic waterway and condemned attacks that have disrupted shipping and energy supplies.
The development came as United States and Iranian negotiators in New York explored a possible phased arrangement under which Tehran would reopen the Strait of Hormuz while Washington would lift its economic blockade of Iran, according to people familiar with the discussions cited by Reuters.
The diplomatic activity is unfolding alongside continuing military and maritime tensions across the Middle East.
A joint statement read at the United Nations by Bahrain's Foreign Minister Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani said the participating countries considered Iran's actions in the Strait of Hormuz a threat to international security and navigational rights and freedoms. The statement also condemned attacks attributed to Iran and its Houthi allies and called for the waterway to be reopened.
The Strait connects the Persian Gulf with the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea and is one of the world's most important energy chokepoints.
Before the current conflict, the waterway carried roughly 20 million barrels of oil and petroleum liquids a day. U.S. Energy Information Administration data for the first half of 2025 put average oil flows through the strait at 20.9 million barrels per day, equivalent to about one-fifth of global petroleum-liquids consumption. About 89% of the crude oil and condensate moving through the strait went to Asian markets, with China, India, Japan and South Korea accounting for most of those flows.
The present disruption has already reduced actual traffic sharply.
EIA data show that average oil flows through Hormuz fell from 20.9 million barrels per day in the first quarter of 2025 to 14.9 million barrels per day in the first quarter of 2026 and to 4.9 million barrels per day in the second quarter of 2026.
The International Maritime Organization, meanwhile, says the crisis has affected thousands of seafarers and resulted in dozens of confirmed attacks on merchant shipping.
As of September 24, the IMO's incident database listed 85 confirmed incidents in the Strait of Hormuz and the wider Middle East, including recent attacks and damage to commercial vessels.
The combination of diplomacy, military confrontation and disrupted shipping has placed the waterway at the centre of a global energy and trade crisis.
International call for the strait to reopen
The joint statement at the United Nations represented a broad diplomatic response to the continuing disruption.
The approximately 80 countries participating called for the Strait of Hormuz to be reopened and condemned attacks that they said were threatening international navigation and energy security. Bahrain's foreign minister read the statement during the 81st session of the UN General Assembly in New York.
The statement adds pressure to the parties involved in the conflict at a moment when diplomatic contacts have resumed.
The United States and Iran are not holding direct negotiations publicly described as a formal bilateral peace process, but intermediaries have been facilitating discussions in New York around possible steps to reduce hostilities.
Reuters reported on September 24 that the discussions under consideration include a phased process in which Iran would reopen the waterway and the United States would remove its blockade and ease economic restrictions. The sources said the talks remained fluid and that the two sides had not reached a final agreement.
The diplomatic track is significant because the status of Hormuz has become closely linked to the wider conflict.
Iranian officials have previously said Tehran would be prepared to reopen the strait if Washington reduced military pressure and lifted the blockade on Iranian ports. Reuters reported on September 22 that an Iranian official said the waterway could potentially reopen within a week if those conditions were met.
That position places the shipping route within the negotiations over the broader conflict rather than treating maritime access as a separate issue.
Why the Strait of Hormuz matters
The importance of Hormuz comes from geography.
The strait lies between Iran and Oman and provides the maritime connection between the Persian Gulf and the wider Indian Ocean shipping system.
Major oil-producing countries including Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Kuwait, Qatar, Iran and the United Arab Emirates depend to varying degrees on maritime routes connected to the strait.
Large crude-oil tankers use the waterway to move energy supplies toward Asian, European and other international markets.
Qatar's liquefied natural gas exports are also heavily dependent on the route.
EIA data show that 11.4 billion cubic feet per day of LNG, representing more than 20% of global LNG trade, transited Hormuz during the first half of 2025.
This means that a prolonged disruption can affect more than crude-oil prices.
Natural-gas markets, electricity generation, fertilizer production, shipping costs, industrial activity and household energy expenses can all be affected when energy supplies become more difficult or expensive to transport.
The importance of the strait also extends beyond the countries immediately surrounding it.
Because petroleum is traded globally, a disruption in one region can affect prices in countries that do not import directly through Hormuz.
A refinery in Asia, for example, may compete for alternative supplies if Middle Eastern cargoes are delayed. That can increase prices even when the refinery's physical location is thousands of kilometres from the Gulf.
Shipping traffic has fallen
The conflict has produced a substantial decline in maritime traffic through Hormuz.
Reuters reported on September 18, citing preliminary Kpler shipping data, that only four commodity vessels had transited the strait on the previous day, compared with a 10-day average of 16. The same report said several LNG vessels had reappeared outside the strait as operators sought to manage the risks.
The reduction is important because shipping companies do not assess the safety of a route solely by whether a vessel can physically pass through it.
Operators consider the probability of attack, availability of insurance, crew safety, naval protection, port access, potential delays and the possibility of cargo loss.
When those risks rise, some companies may delay departures, reroute ships or use alternative logistical arrangements.
The result can be a reduction in physical supply even when oil remains available at production facilities.
The IMO has repeatedly warned that commercial considerations should not override seafarer safety.
In September, the organisation said it had verified 80 attacks on merchant vessels in and around the Strait of Hormuz since the current conflict began, resulting in at least 22 seafarer deaths.
Its later incident database update recorded 85 confirmed incidents as of September 24.
Human cost at sea
The shipping crisis is not simply a question of oil prices or trade statistics.
Thousands of seafarers have been caught in the conflict zone.
The IMO said in August that up to 400 ships carrying around 6,000 seafarers had been unable to depart safely from the Persian Gulf since the conflict began.
The organisation said the disruption was also affecting supply chains for fuels, fertilisers and other commodities around the world.
By September, the IMO said around 20,000 seafarers, port workers and offshore crews were affected by the regional situation.
The organisation has repeatedly called on all parties to refrain from attacks that place merchant vessels and civilian crews at risk.
The IMO's concern has increased as the number of confirmed maritime incidents has risen.
Its September 24 incident list includes the CAPE DAO, which was damaged northeast of Khasab, Oman, on September 23, with one seafarer reported killed.
Other vessels listed as damaged include AL MARYAH and LR STEPHANIE in the Strait of Hormuz on September 21. Two seafarers were injured aboard LR STEPHANIE, according to the IMO record.
Earlier incidents involved missing seafarers, oil leakage and additional fatalities.
These incidents have made the question of safe passage central to international maritime discussions.
Oil prices respond to uncertainty
Financial markets have responded to the disruption even when the physical amount of oil available globally has not changed by the same proportion.
On Thursday, oil prices climbed about 3% after a Houthi missile attack on Saudi Arabia renewed concerns about supply disruptions.
Brent crude settled at $106.60 per barrel, up $3.52 or 3.4%, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate rose $2.45 or 2.7% to $94.61. Reuters reported that prices had briefly risen by as much as 5% during the session before easing after reports of US-Iran discussions about reopening Hormuz.
The movement illustrates the sensitivity of the oil market to developments around the waterway.
Traders respond not only to current production but also to expectations about future supply.
If markets anticipate that shipping could remain restricted, buyers may compete for alternative supplies, while refiners and governments may seek to build inventories.
That can increase prices before an actual physical shortage develops.
The opposite can also occur.
When reports emerge that the United States and Iran may be discussing a pathway to reopen Hormuz, some of the risk premium can be removed from prices.
The result is a market that can move sharply as diplomatic and military information changes.
Alternative routes can help, but not replace Hormuz
Oil producers have several alternatives to maritime exports through Hormuz, but those alternatives cannot fully replace the waterway's capacity.
EIA estimates that pipelines in Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Iran can provide about 4.7 million barrels per day of combined capacity to bypass the strait.
That is considerably smaller than the more than 20 million barrels per day that historically moved through Hormuz.
Regional producers have therefore been exploring emergency logistical measures.
Reuters reported on September 21 that Middle Eastern producers had increasingly used ship-to-ship transfers near Oman to maintain crude exports.
The report said approximately 2.5 million barrels per day had been transferred through such arrangements in September, up from 1.4 million barrels per day in August.
Those measures can keep some oil moving, but they also increase costs and operational risks.
Ship-to-ship transfers require coordination between vessels, suitable weather and security conditions, and additional time.
They are therefore better understood as emergency adaptations than as a full substitute for normal shipping through the strait.
Asian economies face particular exposure
The geographical pattern of Hormuz exports means Asian economies are especially exposed to prolonged disruption.
EIA data show that 89% of crude oil and condensate transported through Hormuz went to Asian markets in the first half of 2025.
China, India, Japan and South Korea collectively accounted for 74% of all crude oil and condensate flows through the strait during that period.
For those countries, disruption can create several challenges.
Refiners may have to purchase alternative crude grades.
Shipping distances may increase.
Insurance costs may rise.
Spot-market competition may intensify.
Governments may need to consider strategic reserves or other emergency measures.
Energy-intensive industries can also face higher costs.
The consequences may eventually appear in transportation, manufacturing, food production and household expenses.
The degree of impact varies by country because governments have different strategic reserves, domestic production levels, refinery configurations and alternative supply arrangements.
India adjusts its supply strategy
India has already been adjusting its crude-import mix amid the changing global oil market.
Reuters reported on September 22 that India's imports of Russian oil had fallen 16.5% in August to about 2.1 million barrels per day, with preliminary September data indicating a further decline to around 1.9 million barrels per day.
At the same time, India increased purchases from other suppliers, including Iraq, while UAE and Saudi supplies remained part of the country's broader sourcing strategy.
The adjustments illustrate how large energy-consuming countries can respond to geopolitical disruption by changing suppliers.
But diversification does not remove exposure to the global market.
If several major buyers simultaneously seek alternative cargoes, prices can rise even in regions that are not directly affected by a shipping disruption.
That is why Hormuz remains a global rather than simply regional issue.
The conflict's wider economic effects
Higher oil prices can affect the world economy through several channels.
The first is transportation.
Petrol, diesel and jet fuel are closely connected to crude-oil prices.
The second is manufacturing.
Petrochemicals are used to produce plastics, synthetic materials and numerous industrial products.
The third is agriculture.
Fuel costs affect farm machinery, irrigation, transport and food distribution. Fertiliser production can also be affected by natural-gas prices.
The fourth is inflation.
When energy and transportation costs rise, businesses may pass some of those costs to consumers.
The fifth is monetary policy.
Central banks may have to consider whether higher energy prices are producing temporary price increases or a broader inflationary effect.
The International Monetary Fund has warned in recent months about the implications of the Middle East conflict for the global economy.
Reuters reported on September 24 that the IMF was calling for targeted refinements to the design and implementation of its lending programmes as it assessed a changing global economic environment.
The precise economic effect of the Hormuz disruption will depend on its duration, the quantity of energy that can move through alternative routes and how governments and markets respond.
Diplomatic pressure builds at the UN
The United Nations has become a major diplomatic venue for discussions about the conflict.
The 81st General Assembly is bringing world leaders together in New York at a moment when the Middle East war remains one of the dominant international issues.
The United States and Iran have each used the UN platform to present their positions.
President Donald Trump used his September 22 General Assembly speech to defend the US decision to begin military action against Iran and said he believed a settlement could eventually be reached.
Reuters reported that Trump also warned Iran of further military consequences if an agreement could not be achieved.
Iranian officials have used the same diplomatic period to press for the lifting of the blockade and a negotiated end to hostilities.
The result has been a combination of public confrontation and behind-the-scenes diplomatic activity.
The reported US-Iran discussions over Hormuz suggest that the waterway itself has become one of the most concrete issues through which a broader de-escalation could be tested.
A possible phased arrangement
According to Reuters, the discussions underway in New York involve a possible phased approach.
Under the concept being explored, Iran would take steps to reopen the Strait of Hormuz while the United States would lift or reduce its economic blockade.
The sequence matters because each side wants concrete action from the other.
Iran has linked maritime reopening to reductions in US pressure.
The United States has sought changes in Iranian conduct and broader security assurances.
A phased arrangement could theoretically allow individual measures to be verified before the next step is taken.
However, Reuters reported that the talks remained under discussion and that no final agreement had been reached.
That distinction is important.
Diplomatic contacts do not necessarily mean that an agreement is imminent.
Negotiations can break down over the sequencing of concessions, verification arrangements, sanctions, security guarantees or the terms governing the conflict itself.
For shipping companies, the practical question will be whether governments can establish credible conditions under which commercial vessels can safely resume normal operations.
Iran's earlier reopening proposal
The latest negotiations follow earlier Iranian proposals.
On September 22, Reuters reported that an Iranian senior official said Tehran was prepared to reopen Hormuz within a week if the United States reduced military pressure and lifted its blockade of Iranian ports.
The Iranian delegation in New York was described as having authority to pursue diplomacy, although President Masoud Pezeshkian was not expected to meet Trump directly.
Iran had also transmitted a proposal through mediators on September 16, according to the same Reuters report.
The diplomatic channel therefore predates the latest international call for reopening the strait.
The UN General Assembly has provided a setting where representatives from numerous countries can discuss the wider consequences.
Gulf states face competing pressures
Countries around the Gulf are directly exposed to the security and economic consequences of the conflict.
They depend on stable maritime trade but also have relationships with the United States and other international partners.
Some are major oil exporters.
Others are major importers or commercial shipping centres.
Any disruption to Hormuz can affect port activity, insurance costs, energy revenue and domestic economies.
Saudi Arabia has also faced direct security threats.
On September 24, Reuters reported that Saudi Arabia intercepted six ballistic missiles launched by Yemen's Iran-backed Houthis.
The incident came as concerns were already rising over attacks affecting shipping and energy infrastructure.
The regional dimension means that even if the United States and Iran reach an understanding over Hormuz, other armed actors and security arrangements will remain relevant.
The Houthi factor
The Houthi movement's involvement in the wider regional conflict has complicated efforts to restore predictable shipping.
The group operates in Yemen and has previously attacked commercial vessels in the Red Sea and surrounding maritime routes.
The Strait of Hormuz and the Red Sea are separate waterways, but disruptions in both can affect global shipping.
The Bab el-Mandeb Strait provides access between the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden and is an important route for vessels travelling between Asia and Europe.
When ships avoid either chokepoint, they may need to take longer routes around the Cape of Good Hope.
That increases sailing time, fuel consumption and freight costs.
The current crisis has therefore created pressure at multiple points in the international maritime system.
World Maritime Day comes amid the crisis
Thursday's diplomatic developments coincided with World Maritime Day.
The International Maritime Organization's 2026 theme is “From Policy to Practice – Powering Maritime Excellence.”
The organisation said the theme is particularly relevant as geopolitical conflicts continue to affect commercial shipping.
The IMO said merchant vessels have been attacked in multiple conflict zones, including the Strait of Hormuz, the Black Sea and Sea of Azov, resulting in deaths among seafarers and disruptions to global trade and critical supply chains.
The organisation's message is that international maritime rules require implementation rather than simply formal recognition.
For Hormuz, this means that restoring freedom of navigation requires more than a diplomatic statement.
Ships need a credible security environment.
Crews need confidence that they can travel without being targeted.
Insurers need sufficient information to assess risks.
Ports need predictable access.
Governments need mechanisms for communication and incident response.
What reopening would require
A reopening of the Strait of Hormuz would not necessarily mean that normal traffic resumed immediately.
Shipping companies would likely assess the situation individually.
Some vessels could remain delayed because of previous security decisions.
Insurance arrangements may take time to adjust.
Cargo schedules could require revision.
Ports and terminals would need to manage vessels that have been waiting.
The IMO has emphasised that any restoration of navigation must be safe and sustainable rather than simply announced politically.
The credibility of security guarantees will therefore be important.
If attacks continue after an announcement of reopening, shipping operators may remain reluctant to send vessels through the waterway.
Conversely, a sustained reduction in hostilities could allow traffic to recover progressively.
Global energy markets will remain sensitive
Even if negotiations produce progress, the energy market is likely to continue monitoring Hormuz closely.
The current crisis has demonstrated how quickly geopolitical events can affect prices.
Brent crude has already moved above $100 per barrel during periods of heightened concern.
On September 24, reports of possible US-Iran discussions over reopening the strait helped limit the day's price gains after an earlier surge triggered by the Saudi attack.
This sensitivity means that statements by governments, military developments and shipping reports can all affect market expectations.
Energy companies are also likely to continue assessing alternative routes and supply sources.
The longer the uncertainty lasts, the more expensive those adaptations can become.
The question of sanctions and the blockade
The US economic blockade is another central part of the diplomatic discussions.
Iran has sought relief from economic restrictions as part of any broader settlement.
Washington, meanwhile, has used economic pressure as one of its tools against Tehran.
The reported phased discussions link these two issues directly to maritime access.
That creates a complicated negotiating structure.
If sanctions are lifted too quickly without other security arrangements, Washington may consider that insufficiently protected.
If maritime restrictions remain while economic pressure continues, Tehran may have little incentive to restore unrestricted shipping.
The sequencing of measures could therefore determine whether a temporary arrangement develops into a more durable settlement.
What happens next
The next stage will depend heavily on whether the US-Iran discussions produce concrete commitments.
The first question is whether the parties can agree on the conditions for reopening Hormuz.
The second is whether those conditions can be independently or mutually verified.
The third is whether other regional actors observe the arrangements.
The fourth is whether commercial shipping companies consider the resulting security environment sufficiently reliable.
The fifth is whether oil and gas flows recover quickly enough to reduce pressure on international markets.
Meanwhile, the approximately 80 countries supporting the UN statement will continue to face the economic consequences of disrupted maritime trade.
Asian energy importers will monitor supply.
Oil producers will continue seeking alternative export routes.
Shipping companies will assess risk.
Governments will consider energy-security measures.
The IMO will continue monitoring attacks and supporting affected seafarers.
A crisis with consequences far beyond the Gulf
The Strait of Hormuz is geographically narrow, but its economic significance extends across continents.
Its traditional oil flows represented about one-fifth of global petroleum-liquids consumption, while more than one-fifth of global LNG trade also passed through the waterway in 2025.
The current conflict has already reduced traffic and created risks for seafarers.
The IMO's record of 85 confirmed incidents as of September 24 demonstrates the scale of the maritime-security problem.
The latest diplomatic developments offer a possible route toward reducing those risks, but negotiations remain incomplete.
The 80-country call for reopening the waterway demonstrates the breadth of international concern.
The reported US-Iran discussions demonstrate that diplomacy is again focused on the practical mechanics of ending or reducing the disruption.
For the international economy, the stakes extend beyond the price of crude oil.
Fuel costs influence transportation.
Natural gas affects electricity and industry.
Fertiliser costs affect agriculture.
Shipping disruptions affect supply chains.
Insurance costs affect trade.
Higher energy prices can influence inflation and monetary policy.
For seafarers, however, the most immediate issue remains physical safety.
The IMO has repeatedly called for merchant vessels and civilian crews to be protected from the conflict.
As World Maritime Day is observed on September 24, that message has acquired additional significance.
A diplomatic opening, but no settlement yet
The international push to reopen Hormuz comes at a moment when the conflict remains unresolved but diplomatic channels are active.
Iran has signalled willingness to reopen the waterway under conditions involving reduced US military pressure and the lifting of the blockade.
US and Iranian representatives are now exploring a possible phased arrangement.
Around 80 countries have called at the UN for the waterway to be reopened.
Oil markets are reacting to every major development.
Shipping companies are operating under heightened risk.
And international maritime authorities continue to document attacks and warn about the consequences for civilian crews.
The reported talks therefore represent an important development, but they are not yet a completed agreement.
For now, the Strait of Hormuz remains the central point where military security, international law, diplomacy, energy markets and global trade intersect.
Whether the current negotiations can convert diplomatic pressure into a verifiable reopening of the waterway will determine how quickly shipping conditions can improve and how much of the current energy-market risk can be reduced.
Until that happens, governments and businesses around the world will continue watching the narrow passage between Iran and Oman — a waterway whose status has become one of the most consequential questions for the global economy in 2026.
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