The International Maritime Organization (IMO) Council has issued a landmark condemnation of Iran's threats and attacks against vessels and its closure of the Strait of Hormuz, declaring them contrary to IMO principles and a "grave danger to life », particularly to seafarers.
Arsenio Dominguez, Secretary-General of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) © X
The International Maritime Organization (IMO) Council has issued a landmark condemnation of Iran's threats and attacks against vessels and its closure of the Strait of Hormuz, declaring them contrary to IMO principles and a "grave danger to life », particularly to seafarers.
The Declaration, tabled by the UAE and co-sponsored by over 115 IMO Member States, the most co-sponsors in IMO history, demands that Iran immediately cease any actions obstructing international navigation through the strait and reaffirms the right of free passage for all commercial vessels.
The Council also condemned in the "strongest terms" Iran's attacks against GCC states and Jordan, calling them a breach of international law, echoing UN Security Council Resolution 2817 (2026), which classified any attempt to impede transit through international waterways as a "serious threat to international peace and security."
"The international community spoke in clear terms: Iran must respect its obligations under international law," said Mohamed Khamis Saeed AlKaabi, UAE Permanent Representative to the IMO.
The Council also adopted a Japanese proposal to establish a maritime security corridor for the safe evacuation of seafarers trapped in the strait.
115 nations, one message: the Strait of Hormuz belongs to the world, not to Iran.
By Mariam Al Mualla
The first falsehood to clear away is this: what Israel and the United States are doing is not a war on Iran. It is a confrontation with the Islamic Republic, the dictatorship that has ruled Iran since 1979, oppressed its own citizens, and turned a civilization of enormous depth and distinction into the instrument of a theocratic project.
Iran's parliament speaker, Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, is taking a more central role as Israeli and U.S. strikes pick off the Islamic Republic's political leadership, making him a critical figure at a decisive moment.
Oman's Foreign Minister Badr al-Busaidi has broken with diplomatic convention to accuse the United States of being "dragged into war" by Israel, at a moment when a nuclear deal was, in his words, "genuinely within reach."
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