SAUD CALLS FOR FREE NAVIGATION THROUGH STRAIT OF HORMUZ

NEW YORK, SEPTEMBER 26 /SRNA/ - Saudi Arabia believes passage through the Strait of Hormuz must remain free of charge, Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud told the UN General Assembly.

He said the waterway should return to the status that existed before February 28, without any fees or restrictions.

Saud added that countries share a responsibility to protect international shipping and global supply chains, DPA reported.

He stressed that freedom of navigation must be guaranteed in the Strait of Hormuz, as well as in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden.

Iran blocked shipping through the Strait of Hormuz following the first US strikes in February, disrupting a large share of regional oil and gas shipments.

Saudi Arabia, like other Persian Gulf states, is under enormous economic pressure as a result of the US war with Iran because it is unable to export its oil and petroleum products to world markets through the Strait of Hormuz.