Yesterday’s
attacks on two petrochemical tankers sailing in the vicinity of the Strait of
Hormuz should ring strident alarm bells. They make obvious there is a strong player
that is betting on escalating the tensions in the region. And the fact of the
matter is that we do not know who is playing such a destructive card.
We
can try to guess based on a careful analysis of some nations’ strategic interests.
However, at this stage to point the finger in one direction only contributes to
augment the tension. It is certainly not the wisest approach. It should not be
accepted.
The
UN Secretary-General, António Guterres, should step forward and offer the
organisation’s good offices to carry out an independent investigation of the
incidents. The International Maritime Organisation could be part of it. In the
meantime, he should dispatch a Special Envoy to the region. For instance, the
UN Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs. That move
would help to lessen the regional political temperature.
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