UK-led talks on Strait of Hormuz unlikely to succeed: Ex-diplomat

Ex-diplomat KP Fabian states a UK-led group can't meet Iran's demands to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. He says Iran wants guarantees against US-Israel aggression, a condition the 40-nation group cannot credibly fulfill, stalling diplomacy.

Iran's Demands Unlikely to Be Met, Says Ex-Diplomat

Former Indian diplomat KP Fabian said the UK-led group of countries that are currently deliberating on strategies for reopening the Strait of Hormuz will likely not be able to fulfil the guarantees demanded by Iran. Fabian, in a conversation with ANI, said that there can hardly be any meeting that can be done at the military level. "The chair has stated that they will work through diplomacy. But later, there was a statement that there would be a meeting at the military level. Hardly anything can be done at the military level... If the 40 countries, the UK is the chair, tell Iran that they should keep the Strait of Hormuz open, Iran will say, yes, it can be done. But please understand why it is not open. Israel and America committed aggression. You ask them to give us a guarantee that it won't be repeated, and we will open it. I don't think there is any credible response which the UK plus can give to that," he said.

UK Leads 40-Nation Talks on Strait Blockade

The United Kingdom has convened foreign ministers from 40 nations to deliberate on strategies for reopening the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial maritime artery currently obstructed by the ongoing conflict involving the United States, Israel, and Iran. According to Al Jazeera, the high-level meeting addressed the "vital shipping route" that has been severely impacted by the regional war.

Tehran Accused of Holding Global Economy 'Hostage'

During the virtual summit on Thursday, UK Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper criticised what she termed as Iran's "recklessness" in blockading the passage, asserting that the disruption was "hitting our global economic security." Cooper's opening remarks, which were broadcast to the media before the session transitioned to a closed-door format, accused Tehran of using the waterway as leverage. "We have seen Iran hijack an international shipping route to hold the global economy hostage," she stated.

Soaring Oil Prices and Halted Traffic

The impact of the blockade has been profound, as retaliatory strikes on merchant vessels and the ongoing "threat of more" have effectively "halted nearly all traffic" through the strait. Al Jazeera noted that this closure of the path connecting the Gulf to the world's oceans has triggered a sharp rise in "petroleum prices" and interrupted the global "flow of oil". (ANI)

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