Secretary-General of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) Arsenio Dominguez said on Monday that no country has the right to blockade international straits used for international transit.
U.S. President Donald Trump said on the same day that the U.S. Navy had begun blocking ships trying to enter or leave the Strait of Hormuz, after peace talks with Iran failed to produce a deal.
"The present, because of the crisis, because of the conflict, is not safe for ships to transit through these corridors, and this is what actually stopping this. But legally speaking, in accordance with international law, no country has the right to prohibit the right of innocent passage, or the freedom of navigation through international straits that are used for international transit," Dominguez said at a press briefing in London, responding to a question on whether the U.S. blockade of the Strait of Hormuz would violate international law.
Dominguez also told reporters the IMO, as a rule maker and coordinator, has been working with member states and United Nations agencies to prevent escalation.
"We engage with the member states, with all the UN agencies, with stakeholders in order to contribute to once finding those solutions to the root causes of it, now, for example, through the ceasefire, how we can get shipping to resume operations. Because geopolitical actions or crisis are having more and more negative effect in shipping, we need to get further involved to sometimes highlight those negative effects," said Dominguez.
Dominguez also called for more attention to the safety and lives of seafarers, as around 20,000 seafarers and 1,600 vessels remain trapped in the Strait of Hormuz.
"It would be very simple for anyone to put or to imagine being in a situation where you've been trapped on board a ship without being able to navigate for over a month now. So there is concerns that supplies may start running low. There is the constant threat that a ship may be targeted or attacked, which, of course, endangers the lives of the seafarers. You're further away from your families. There're issues with communications," said Dominguez.
The IMO chief urged seafarers not to risk passage until the situation is stabilized, and he said the organization would intensify dialogue with other international bodies and governments to de-escalate tensions.
IMO chief says no country has right to blockade int'l straits, warns against U.S. Hormuz blockade
