Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, addressing the 81st session of the UN General Assembly on 26 September, called for freedom of navigation to be ensured in the Strait of Hormuz, the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. He said Saudi Arabia rejects the use of these vital waterways by any party as a tool to exert pressure, issue threats or harm the interests of states. He said conditions in the Strait of Hormuz should return to what they were before 28 February, without the imposition of any fees or restrictions, and stressed that the Gulf is directly linked to global energy security, the continuity of international trade and the resilience of supply chains.