UN Maritime Chief Warns Against Blocking Strait of Hormuz Amid US-Iran Tensions

KATHMANDU. The head of the United Nations' maritime agency has stated that no country has the legal authority to block vessels in the Strait of Hormuz, which has been disrupted due to the US-Iran conflict.

International Maritime Organization Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez told reporters, "It would be wrong for access to the Strait of Hormuz to be blocked six weeks after the war began following attacks by the US and Israel against Iran."

The United States had warned it would begin a blockade of Iranian ports in and around the Strait starting Monday; however, Tehran's military has maintained control over the region since the war began on February 28.

"International law does not grant any country the right to prohibit or obstruct the freedom of navigation in international waterways used for international transit," Dominguez said.

Iranian officials are currently vetting vessels and allowing ships associated with allied nations to pass through routes near their coast, while demanding payment from others for entry.

"This principle of prohibiting access to international waterways is against international customary law of the sea," he stated.

He added, "It would set a very dangerous precedent."

While the US has committed to blockading Iranian ports, he noted that the task is not straightforward.

"We are initiating efforts to address the crisis in the Middle East, particularly in the Hormuz region, and to assist in the operation of vessels."

He noted that the additional impact of a US blockade on shipping would be negligible.

He added, "Only a few (very few) ships have managed to transit, so it can be understood that an additional blockade will not worsen the situation to that extent."