Strait of Hormuz: UN Maritime Council calls on nations to reject Iran control

The governing council of the United Nations’ International Maritime Organization, IMO, has called on countries to reject Iran’s attempt to assert control over the Strait of Hormuz, urging member states not to recognize Tehran’s unilateral measures affecting navigation through the strategic waterway.

The resolution was adopted amid heightened tensions between the United States and Iran following recent military exchanges and attacks on commercial shipping in the Gulf, which have raised fresh concerns over global energy security and maritime trade.

In its non-binding decision, the IMO Council strongly condemned Iran’s establishment of an authority claiming oversight of vessel movements through the Strait of Hormuz.

The council urged member states not to recognize Iran’s claims of sovereignty over the waterway or any actions aimed at restricting, obstructing or interfering with the internationally recognized right of transit passage.

The move follows the creation of Iran’s Persian Gulf Strait Authority, which announced last month that all vessels transiting the Strait would require a valid passage permit issued by the agency.

The issue dominated discussions during this week’s IMO Council meeting in London, where representatives of Gulf states, the United States and Iran expressed differing positions on the future governance of the strategic shipping lane.

Although Iran does not hold a seat on the IMO Council, its delegation rejected the resolution, describing the allegations as “selective, politically motivated and legally unfounded.”

Tehran maintained that the establishment of the new maritime authority is intended to safeguard its sovereignty and national security interests and insisted that the measures do not amount to closing the Strait of Hormuz.

The latest development comes as international efforts continue to prevent further escalation in the Gulf, where renewed tensions have spotlighted the vulnerability of one of the world’s most important oil transit routes.