NEW YORK: United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Friday welcomed the opening of Strait of Hormuz by Iran and said it was “a step in the right direction.” The Secretary-General welcomed the announcement that the strait is now completely open for all commercial vessels for the remainder of the ceasefire, according to Stephane Dujarric, spokesman for the Guterres. “The United Nations’ position remains clear: we need the full restoration of international navigational rights and freedoms in the Strait of Hormuz to be respected by all parties,” a UN statement said.

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Alimov noted that the UN Security Council continues work and consultations on the joint Russian-Chinese draft resolution on Iran

The Strait of Hormuz has remained almost completely closed as the U.S. and Iran have disputed the terms of their ceasefire agreement.