Kuwait: Iran's Threat to International Navigation Disrupts Supply Chains and Impacts Global Trade

Kuwait’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations in Geneva, Ambassador Nasser Al-Hin, reaffirmed his country’s full solidarity with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in the face of attacks it is enduring from Houthi militias, which constitute a blatant violation of international law. He also condemned Iran’s brazen attacks on countries in the region and its continued threat to the security of maritime routes and freedom of international navigation.

This statement was delivered by Ambassador Al-Hin before the Executive Committee of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Programme, held in Geneva from October 12 to 16.

In his statement, Al-Hin emphasized that Iranian attacks and assaults targeting the security, stability, and sovereignty of states, and hitting civilian objects, vital facilities, and infrastructure—resulting in casualties and severe material and economic damage—constitute a blatant violation of international law and the UN Charter. He expressed Kuwait’s deep concern over the security, economic, and humanitarian repercussions of these attacks, which could spill beyond the region’s borders, and called for intensified international and regional efforts to de-escalate tensions, protect civilians, and adhere to dialogue and diplomatic efforts as means to resolve crises and achieve security, stability, and peace.

He added that these repercussions extend beyond direct losses, threatening energy security, disrupting supply chains, affecting international trade flows, and exacerbating fragile humanitarian conditions, thereby worsening the suffering of peoples and undermining humanitarian and development response efforts. He stressed that resolving crises cannot be achieved through escalation or the use of force, but rather through dialogue, diplomatic efforts, and work toward sustainable solutions that ensure security, stability, and peace for peoples, while respecting state sovereignty and territorial integrity and guaranteeing the security of maritime routes and freedom of navigation.

In the same context, Ambassador Al-Hin expressed Kuwait’s firm rejection of attempts to forcibly displace the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip and the continued settlement activities in the West Bank, emphasizing the necessity of adhering to the provisions of international law and international humanitarian law, ensuring the protection of civilians, and guaranteeing the unhindered delivery of humanitarian aid. He also voiced Kuwait’s concern over the politicization of humanitarian action and its use as a tool in conflicts, reiterating Kuwait’s firm rejection of targeting humanitarian workers or obstructing the delivery of aid to those entitled to it, particularly amid the deteriorating humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip, the West Bank, Sudan, and Yemen.

In this regard, Ambassador Al-Hin reaffirmed Kuwait’s steadfast support for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and its appreciation for the vital role the agency plays in protecting refugees and forcibly displaced persons worldwide, amid increasingly complex and widespread humanitarian challenges.