Islamabad, 14 November, 2026 (Ghufran): The United Nations has warned that increasing attacks on commercial vessels in and around the Strait of Hormuz and the Red Sea are threatening regional stability, international security and the global economy. Addressing the UN Security Council virtually, Assistant Secretary-General Khaled Khiari said maritime incidents had increased, leaving several ships and their crews stranded in the Gulf for months. He stressed that civilian vessels and commercial shipping must never be targeted, noting that the International Maritime Organization had recorded 134 confirmed incidents in the Strait of Hormuz and the wider Middle East maritime region by November 11, with 25 seafarers killed and many others injured or missing. Khiari warned that disruptions to shipping were raising energy, transportation and insurance costs, fuelling inflation and threatening food security due to limited fertiliser supplies. He called for the full restoration of safe and unimpeded maritime navigation in accordance with international law, cautioning that prolonged restrictions would further damage global trade and economic confidence. On regional tensions, he welcomed the absence of major military exchanges between the United States and Iran since early September and urged both sides to resume good-faith negotiations to achieve a lasting peaceful settlement. He also warned that renewed hostilities could have devastating consequences for the entire region. Separately, Gulf Cooperation Council Secretary-General Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi reaffirmed that member states reject any threat to their security, sovereignty and territorial integrity. He urged the Security Council to take action against attacks on Gulf countries and protect commercial vessels, their crews and energy facilities.