NEW YORK, March 21. /TASS/. The United Nations could help ensure the safety of shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres stated in an interview with the European publication Politico.

When addressing this issue, Guterres reportedly mentioned the Black Sea Grain Initiative. "My main objective is to see if it is possible to create conditions in the Strait of Hormuz similar to what [existed] in the past [Black Sea Grain Initiative - TASS]," he said. "Of course, it’s a different context. It would be a different solution. But we would like to be useful and we are prepared to manage the system. We have task forces created to be able to do it. But we prefer to work directly with the US and other states."

The United States and Israel launched a military operation against Iran on February 28. Major Iranian cities, including Tehran, were struck. The White House justified the attack by citing alleged missile and nuclear threats from Iran. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps announced a retaliatory operation, targeting sites in Israel. US military bases in Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE were also hit.

On March 11, a Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters spokesman reported that Iran would not allow US-affiliated oil tankers to pass through the Strait of Hormuz. On March 15, he warned that Tehran would use any means necessary, including controlling the navigation of vessels in the Strait of Hormuz, to force the enemy to surrender.