The head of the International Energy Agency Fatih Birol welcomed the signing of the provisional agreement to end the war in Iran and called for the opening of the Strait of Hormuz under certain conditions.
Fatih Birol stated at an event in Istanbul that many countries are reevaluating their energy policies and that it is clear that the sea lane could be blocked again, given that Iran blocked the Strait during the armed conflict. “The genie is out of the bottle. Now, everyone knows that the Strait of Hormuz was closed once and could be closed again,” he emphasized.
The International Energy Agency will discuss new strategies with many countries since the crisis has reshaped the energy landscape, he noted, adding that “confidence” is a critical factor in global energy, where prices have fallen since the announcement that an agreement had been reached.
The agreement stipulates that Tehran will open the Strait of Hormuz and that the U.S. will lift the blockade on Iranian ports.
The Strait must be opened “unconditionally” so that all sides “can be confident that it is safe,” said Fatih Birol, adding: “Now we will look at the details of the agreement and the negotiation process, and what will happen next.”
