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Abu Dhabi [UAE], March 19 (ANI/WAM): The United Arab Emirates welcomes the International Maritime Organization's (IMO) Council decision during its 36th extraordinary session to strongly condemn Iranian threats and attacks against vessels and its purported closure of the Strait of Hormuz as contrary to the purposes of the IMO and representing a grave danger to life, particularly seafarers, and serious risk to the marine environment.
The Council further condemned in the strongest terms Iran's attacks against the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) States and Jordan, calling the attacks a breach of international law. The Declaration was tabled by the UAE and co-sponsored by over 115 IMO Member States, the most co-sponsors in the history of the IMO, demonstrating the global impact and condemnation of Iran's actions and the international community's shared responsibility to ensure the freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz. With this decision, the IMO Council demands that Iran immediately refrain from any actions or threats aimed at closing, obstructing or otherwise interfering with international navigation through the Strait of Hormuz or against merchant or commercial vessels in and around the Strait. It also reaffirms that the exercise of navigational rights and freedoms by merchant and commercial vessels must be respected. The IMO Council underscored the paramount importance of preserving the safety and welfare of seafarers and further recalled UN Security Council resolution 2817 (2026), which affirmed that any attempt to impede lawful transit passage or freedom of navigation through international waterways such as the Strait of Hormuz constitutes a serious threat to international peace and security. The Declaration urges the IMO committees to consider the implications of the situation for the implementation of IMO instruments and to take appropriate action. The UAE also welcomes the adoption by the Council of Japan's proposal, which encourages the establishment of a framework of a maritime security corridor to facilitate the safe evacuation of seafarers from the Strait. Mohamed Khamis Saeed AlKaabi, Permanent Representative of the UAE to the IMO, welcomed the Council Declaration, stating: "The Council, and the international community as a whole, spoke in clear terms today to demand that Iran respect its obligations under international law and allow merchant and commercials vessels to navigate freely and safely through the Strait of Hormuz, an essential international waterway to energy supply and global economy". The UAE underscores that the Strait of Hormuz is not only a vital energy corridor through which a significant share of the world's oil and gas supplies pass, but also a critical artery for global trade, including fertilisers, minerals, petrochemicals, and essential goods. Any disruption carries far-reaching consequences for global markets, economic stability, and the cost of living worldwide, particularly in vulnerable regions. The UAE reiterates that any attempt to use the Strait as a tool of economic coercion or to threaten international shipping is unacceptable and risks undermining both regional stability and the broader global economic order. The UAE remains committed to engagement in all relevant multilateral fora to effectively address the impacts of Iran's unlawful actions. The threat to maritime security and the freedom of navigation deeply undermines regional and international stability and must be addressed. (ANI/WAM)
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