German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul is set to travel to New York on Monday to take part in a UN Security Council meeting likely to focus on the situation in the Strait of Hormuz.
Germany’s top diplomat plans to give a speech during a debate on maritime security, expected to address efforts to enable the resumption of oil and gas trade through the narrow waterway that has become a flashpoint in the US-Israeli war on Iran.
Wadephul, who will be in New York for two days, also plans to attend the review conference of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, which kicks off on Monday.
The conference comes at a sensitive moment, as the US and Israel have partially justified their attacks on Iran by saying they want to prevent the country from building a nuclear bomb.
Iran’s nuclear programme has long been the subject of tensions between Washington and Tehran. The two sides had been in negotiations over Iran’s nuclear capabilities when the US and Israel began their war on Iran on February 28.
The Iranian government has consistently rejected accusations it is seeking an atomic bomb, insisting that its nuclear programme is for civilian purposes only.
Wadephul also plans to hold talks with UN Secretary António Guterres as well as other high-ranking UN officials, as he seeks to shore up support for Germany’s bid for a non-permanent seat on the UN Security Council.
The council, which is tasked with the maintenance of international peace and security, is the only UN body with the authority to pass legally binding resolutions where non-compliance can be met with sanctions and even military action.
It has five veto-wielding permanent members – Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States – and 10 non-permanent members elected by the UN General Assembly for two-year terms and following regional rotations to ensure equal representation.