World News

Ask Iran to stop blowing ships in Strait of Hormuz – US tells UN

Published

2 hours ago

May 6, 2026

The United States is turning to the United Nations (UN) to rally international condemnation of Iran and safeguard navigation through the Strait of Hormuz.

Frustrated by attacks on vessels, Marco Rubio, US secretary of state, said Iran cannot be allowed to dictate who uses the strait.

About a quarter of the world’s oil trade, along with significant volumes of fuel and fertiliser, pass through the narrow seaway.

Geographically, Iran commands de-facto supervision over the strait but much of that control has been contested with the US since America launched a joint attack with Israel against Iran in February.

Tehran responded by blocking the waterway, and in retaliation, US President Donald Trump directed a naval blockade against the Islamic Republic.

Trump noted that he ordered the US navy to shoot and kill any boat putting “mines” in the strait.

On Monday, the US central command said Iran fired cruise missiles and drones, and deployed small boats against US-flagged ships in the strait, noting that no vessels were hit and no one was injured.

Iran said the strikes were “warning shots” near hostile vessels after US destroyers attempted to approach Hormuz, warning that such moves would be considered a violation of the ceasefire.

On the same day, South Korea and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) reported strikes on ships in the channel.

Iran has accused the US of killing five civilians in the strait, saying its forces attacked passenger vessels in the waterway rather than boats belonging to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as claimed.

‘UNACCEPTABLE, OUTRAGEOUS’

Addressing the press on Tuesday, Rubio said Iran is “unlawfully, criminally, and illegally taking possession of an international waterway, and blowing up commercial vessels and putting mines in the water”.

“I don’t know if people appreciate, like, how outrageous this is, how unacceptable it is, that any country would fire and try to sink commercial vessels or put mines in the water. Both of these things are illegal,” Rubio said.

The secretary of state added that the US would take the matter to the UN.

“All we’re asking them to do is to condemn it, to call on Iran to stop blowing ships, to remove these mines, and to allow humanitarian relief to come through because there’s humanitarian aid that’s trapped. That’s it. This is a very modest request,” he said.

“And if you’re telling me that the international community and hundreds of countries cannot rally behind that, then I don’t know what the utility of the UN system is if it can’t even solve something as straightforward as that.”

Iran had offered to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and end the war if the US lifts its blockade on the waterway. Trump acknowledged receipt of the proposal but did not signal acceptance.

Meanwhile, the US has fast-tracked billions of dollars in arms sales to Israel, Qatar, the United Arab Emiratesand Kuwait, according to statements released by the state department.(TheCable)