Nov 5, 2026, 1:31 PM
Iran demands IMO condemn US naval blockade
TEHRAN, Nov. 05 (MNA) – Iran told the IMO Council that US and Israeli claims on Hormuz shipping are baseless and politically motivated, and demanded the council condemn the US naval blockade of Iranian ports as aggression under UN Resolution 3314.
Iran’s delegation to the International Maritime Organization (IMO) Council rejected accusations by representatives of the United States and the Zionist regime regarding shipping security in the Strait of Hormuz, calling them baseless and politically motivated.
At the 138th session of the IMO Council in London on Wednesday, Iran’s representative responded to the claims raised under the agenda item on protecting critical shipping lanes. He said the Islamic Republic of Iran firmly rejects the baseless, politically motivated claims about maritime security in the Strait of Hormuz.
Responding to the US side, Iran’s representative said the US regime cannot claim to defend freedom of navigation while continuing its illegal naval blockade of Iranian ports. Iran’s delegation cited Article 3(c) of UN General Assembly Resolution 3314 to describe the naval blockade of Iranian ports as an act of aggression, and strongly condemned US and Israeli military aggression against Iran, including attacks on civilian vessels, ports and maritime infrastructure. The delegation said these attacks caused widespread destruction of civilian infrastructure and the martyrdom of innocent people.
Iran’s representative said that to facilitate safe navigation, Iran joined the Islamabad agreement to end the war, but the United States undermined the arrangements by violating its commitments.
The delegation rejected attempts to link Yemeni forces’ actions to Iran, stressing that Yemen is an independent and sovereign state and that Yemeni actors make decisions based on their own will and interests. Iran’s representative said those responsible for aggression and civilian casualties cannot transfer responsibility for their actions to Iran.
The remarks came after Iran’s delegation submitted two official documents under IMO Council agenda item 11 on the US naval blockade of Iranian ports and the consequences of US and Israeli military aggression against Iran’s maritime sector.
Iran’s representative said that since the military aggression began on Feb. 28, 2026, Iran’s maritime infrastructure, commercial vessels and essential shipping safety services have suffered extensive damage. Presenting documentation, the delegation stressed that protecting critical shipping lanes is not possible without addressing the naval blockade of Iranian ports and the destruction of civilian infrastructure essential for maritime safety.
MNA
