UN Maritime Agency Urges Nations to Reject Iran's Control Over Strait of Hormuz

The governing council of the United Nations' shipping agency has formally agreed that countries should reject Iran's efforts to impose sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz. The decision follows Tehran's recent move to create an entity to control vessel traffic through the critical global energy chokepoint.

IMO Condemns Sovereignty Claim

In a non-binding decision reached Friday, the 40-member governing council of the London-based International Maritime Organization (IMO) "strongly condemned" Iran's establishment of a body purporting to control shipping in the strait. According to the text of the decision, the council called upon its 176 member states not to recognize "Iran’s claim of sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz."

The council also urged members to reject any Iranian actions aimed at "closing, obstructing, hampering or otherwise interfering with international navigation and the right of transit passage." The discussion took place amid a clash between Gulf countries, the United States, and Iran over the future of the strategic waterway.

Iran Defends New Measures

Iran's move follows a June advisory from its recently created Persian Gulf ​Strait Authority, which stated no vessel was permitted to transit the waterway "without a valid passage permit" issued by the body. Iran, which does not hold a seat on the council, defended its actions to IMO delegates this week.

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Tehran's delegation rejected the allegations as "politically motivated and legally unfounded," noting that Iran is not a party to the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and is therefore "not bound by the treaty-based regime." Iran asserted its measures are intended to uphold maritime safety and security and "do not constitute the closure of the strait."

Geopolitical Context and Market Risk

This diplomatic dispute occurs against a backdrop of heightened geopolitical tensions, including recent U.S. military airstrikes and attacks on commercial ships that Washington has attributed to Tehran. The Strait of Hormuz is one of the world's most important oil transit chokepoints, with a significant portion of global oil supplies passing through it.

Any attempt to control or disrupt passage through the waterway poses a significant risk to global energy supply chains and international shipping. Such developments can lead to increased volatility in oil prices, higher insurance premiums for tankers, and broader uncertainty in financial markets.