Tehran: Iran’s representative to the International Maritime Organization (IMO), Ali Mousavi, on Sunday expressed Tehran’s readiness to collaborate with the UN agency on enhancing maritime safety and protecting seafarers in the Gulf. However, he reiterated that the Strait of Hormuz remains closed to vessels linked to Iran’s adversaries, including the US and Israel, agencies reported.
Mousavi informed the IMO that Iran stands prepared to partner with the UN body to bolster safety measures and safeguard seafarers in the Gulf region. He maintained the strait is accessible, but solely to ships unaffiliated with nations Iran views as enemies. “Diplomacy remains Iran’s priority,” Mousavi said.
“However, a complete cessation of aggression as well as mutual trust and confidence are more important.” Mousavi directly pointed to US and Israeli strikes on Iranian military sites —
including the assassination of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei — as the “root of the current situation.”
The standoff ignited on February 28 with US-Israeli airstrikes prompting a quick Iranian retaliation. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) broadcast VHF radio alerts to strait traffic, declaring that “no ship is allowed to pass the Strait of Hormuz.”
Global markets reeled instantly, with Brent crude topping $100 per barrel on March 8 for the first time in four years and peaking at $126—marking the gravest energy supply interruption since the energy crisis of the 1970s.
Tehran has since moderated its stance selectively. On March 5, the IRGC stated the strait would bar only US, Israeli, and Western-allied ships. Vessels approved by it now navigate a restricted Iranian-water channel between Qeshm and Larak islands, often after payment of huge amount as fees; one documented case involved a $2 million payment for clearance.
China, India, Pakistan, Iraq, Malaysia, and Japan have engaged Tehran in bilateral talks for Hormuz passage protocols, with Iran opting for case-by-case approvals entailing paperwork reviews and onboard visual checks.
The IMO’s emergency Council meeting on March 18–19 decried threats to merchant shipping and pushed for an international navigation safety plan.
It proposed an interim framework to enable safe exits for Gulf-trapped merchant vessels. Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez emphasized urgency, saying: “Let it be the responsibility of each and every one of us to demonstrate that inaction is not an option, that words alone are not sufficient.”
