'Need for maritime security has never been more urgent than today': Bahrain's foreign minister

Bahrain's Foreign Minister Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani on Monday said that maritime security has reached a critical juncture and warned that disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz are threatening the global economy and millions of livelihoods.

"The need for maritime security has never been more urgent than today," Al Zayani said at a UN Security Council meeting on maritime security.

The Strait of Hormuz – through which roughly one-fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas flows – has faced major disruptions since early March after the US and Israel launched a joint offensive against Iran on Feb. 28. The war is currently on a halt and efforts to end it permanently are underway.

“The situation in the Strait of Hormuz highlights the risks we face,” Al Zayani said, accusing Iran of actions that endanger global trade and maritime safety.

He described the developments as hostile acts that underscore the vulnerability of critical trade routes.

"These hostile acts, which some countries classify as terrorism, demonstrate the fragility of our critical trade routes with consequences extending beyond commercial interests to affect the livelihoods of countless individuals who depend on safe maritime corridors," he said.

Al Zayani stressed that ensuring maritime security cannot fall on any single nation, but instead requires coordinated international action.

“Maritime security is not the responsibility of a single state,” he said. “It is a shared responsibility that requires genuine international commitment, sustained cooperation and political will.”

He added that protecting shipping lanes is a collective global interest that must be addressed consistently, not selectively.

The foreign minister urged the international community to recognize what he described as the “grave repercussions” of Iran’s closure of the Strait of Hormuz, calling it a violation of international law.

"This closure represents a violation of international law aimed at inflicting hardship on the peoples of the world and exploiting the situation in negotiations," he said.

Reaffirming Bahrain’s position, Al Zayani called for urgent global attention to maritime security challenges.

“Safeguarding maritime security is a shared and urgent responsibility that must not be overlooked,” he said.