Støre met Iran’s president Masoud Pezeshkian at the United Nations in New York on 23 September, calling for diplomacy over the crisis around the Strait of Hormuz while criticising Iranian attacks on civilian shipping and raising concerns about human rights.
According to the Norwegian Prime Minister’s Office, Norwegian Prime Minister (statsminister) Jonas Gahr Støre told Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian that the escalation in the Middle East and around the Strait of Hormuz was having consequences far beyond the region.
Støre met Iran’s president amid Hormuz tensions
The Strait of Hormuz was one of the main subjects of the meeting. Støre said Norway was concerned about the effects of the conflict on the rest of the world and argued that diplomacy should remain the way out of the crisis.
“The conflict must be resolved using diplomacy, not pressure or violence.”
Støre also stressed that all parties had a responsibility to seek solutions and contribute to de-escalation.
The meeting took place as tensions around Hormuz continue to affect civilian shipping and regional security. Støre specifically criticised Tehran’s actions, saying that Iranian attacks on civilian vessels and other countries in the region were unacceptable and contributed to further instability.
Norwegian broadcaster TV 2 also reported that the Norwegian prime minister presented Pezeshkian with Oslo’s concerns over the situation in the strait.
Norway also raised human rights in Iran
The discussion was not limited to regional security. Støre also expressed deep concern about human rights violations in Iran, according to the Norwegian government.
He said maintaining direct contact remained important even when the two governments strongly disagreed. Norway’s positions on regional security, international law, human rights and the law of the sea were all raised during the meeting.
The encounter therefore combined Norway’s call for continued diplomatic engagement with explicit criticism of Iranian actions. For Oslo, keeping channels of communication open does not remove disagreements with Tehran, but provides a way to address them directly at a time of heightened tensions in the Middle East.
