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 called on member countries to reject Iran's efforts to impose sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz. The decision, reached Friday, directly addresses Tehran's recent creation of an authority to control maritime traffic through one of the world's most critical energy chokepoints.

IMO Council Condemns Move

The 40-member council of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) "strongly condemned" Iran's establishment of the Persian Gulf Strait Authority, according to the text of the non-binding decision. In June, this new Iranian body issued an advisory stating that no vessel would be permitted through the waterway "without a valid passage permit."

The IMO council's decision calls upon its 176 member states to take specific actions, including:

• Not to recognize Iran’s claim of sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz.
• Not to recognize Iran's assertions of jurisdiction over the maritime zones of other states in the area.
• Not to recognize any Iranian decisions aimed at "closing, obstructing, hampering or otherwise interfering with international navigation."

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Geopolitical and Market Context

This development occurs amid heightened geopolitical tensions between the U.S. and Iran, which have recently involved military airstrikes and attacks on commercial vessels that Washington has attributed to Tehran. The dispute over the strait's control raises significant concerns for the stability of global oil supplies and the security of international shipping.

Iran, which does not hold a seat on the IMO council, rejected the accusations as "selective, politically motivated and legally unfounded." An Iranian delegation told the IMO that it was not a party to the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and claimed its measures were intended to uphold maritime safety and security, not to close the strait.