Dar stresses need for uninterrupted energy supplies amid regional tensions

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar held a telephone conversation with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Saturday, with the two discussing the latest developments in the region, according to the Foreign Office.

During the conversation, Dar stressed the importance of ensuring uninterrupted energy supplies and the safe and expeditious passage of ships, citing their significance for developing countries and global supply chains.

He also underscored the need for dialogue and diplomacy, saying they remain the only viable means of ensuring peace and stability in the region.

Dar and Araghchi agreed to maintain close cooperation and to meet in New York on the sidelines of the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly.

Before the Iran war started on February 28, the Strait of Hormuz typically handled about 125 large, commercial vessels per day, including tankers, gas carriers, bulkers and container vessels, accounting for some 20% of the world’s daily crude oil and liquefied natural gas supply.

Reuters earlier this week reported that commodity vessel transits through the Strait of Hormuz had fallen to a single digit per day at the weekend, preliminary shiptracking data showed on Monday, well below a 10-day average of 14.

A US blockade of Iran-related shipping has halted Iranian crude oil exports since it was reimposed in mid-July.

In the Bab el-Mandeb strait, 24 and 27 commodity vessels travelled through respectively on Saturday and Sunday, tracking data showed, compared with an average of around 27 ships over the last 10 days.