Iran has informed the International Maritime Organization (IMO) that parts of the Strait of Hormuz fall within its territorial waters, asserting its sovereignty and jurisdiction over those areas under international law. The statement was submitted to the UN shipping agency as the strategic waterway remains a key focus of peace discussions between Washington and Tehran.
Iran’s efforts to control Hormuz, and ultimately charge fees for ships that cross it, are being closely monitored by the shipping industry and the country’s neighbors. US Central Command has said that its forces would support freedom of navigation, “without any arbitrary requirement claims or impediments.”
The document didn’t set out which parts Iran claims control over, or state whether using alternative routes was acceptable to Tehran.
However, it comes at a time when there have been multiple attacks on merchant vessels using a corridor through Hormuz that hugs Oman’s coastline, undermining owners’ and crews’ confidence about navigation. At least four commercial ships have been attacked there since Tehran and Washington agreed an interim peace deal.The IMO’s Council is meeting this week at the organization’s headquarters in London, with the “protection of vital shipping lanes” on the agenda.
The IRGC has said multiple times, including since the peace pact was signed, that ships need its permission to cross. Iran has also set up an organization called the Persian Gulf State Authority to oversee transit.
Iran’s document also rejected a proposed Council declaration, put forward by multiple countries, including France, Germany and the United Arab Emirates, focused on the impacts of “unlawful activities” of Iran, including in and around the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran pointed out that it’s not a party to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, the main piece of legislation governing transit through international straits.
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