UN chief welcomes Iran's re-opening of Hormuz Strait for commercial ships

UNITED NATIONS, April 17 (Xinhua) -- UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Friday welcomed Iran's announcement that the Strait of Hormuz is completely open for all commercial vessels during the Israel-Lebanon ceasefire, said his spokesman.

"The secretary-general considers this a step in the right direction," said Stephane Dujarric, the spokesman, in a statement.

"The secretary-general remains fully supportive of the diplomatic efforts to find a peaceful path forward out of the current conflict in the Middle East. He also hopes that, together with the ceasefire, this measure will contribute to creating confidence between the parties and strengthen the ongoing dialogue facilitated by Pakistan," said the statement.

U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday declared that Israel and Lebanon had agreed to a 10-day ceasefire.

On Friday, Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi posted on X that the Strait of Hormuz is now declared completely open to commercial vessels during the remainder of the ceasefire. ■