Zelenskyy says Ukraine ready to help unblock Strait of Hormuz

ISTANBUL

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Friday that Kyiv is ready to help unblock the Strait of Hormuz, which has been disrupted since the US and Israel launched a joint offensive on Iran.

However, Ukraine has not yet received any request, Zelenskyy said, suggesting that only joint steps can bring results in lifting the blockade.

“Our signal to the United States and countries in the Middle East about the Strait of Hormuz was that we were open to discussing it,” he said on US social media company X.

He compared the situation in the Strait of Hormuz to the Black Sea grain corridor, which provided a route from the Ukrainian port city of Odesa to resume global grain shipments disrupted by the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

“The war and the negotiations on reopening the Hormuz Strait can go in parallel. It’s worth trying to find a diplomatic solution, and this could be beneficial for both sides in the war,” he said.

“An alternative step would be to control the Strait unilaterally, as Ukraine did with the Grain Corridor. Achieving this would require interceptors, military convoys to escort the vessels, a large integrated electronic warfare network, and other tools,” he added.

The situation in the Middle East has deteriorated since the US and Israel launched airstrikes on Iran on Feb. 28, killing more than 1,340 people so far, including then-Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.

Iran has retaliated with drone and missile strikes targeting Israel, along with Jordan, Iraq, and Gulf countries hosting US military assets, causing casualties and damage to infrastructure while disrupting global energy markets.​​​​​​​