UAE welcomes IMO council decision on Iranian attacks, Strait of Hormuz

The UAE has welcomed the decision of the International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) Council, which strongly condemns Iran's threats and attacks against vessels and its purported closure of the Strait of Hormuz.

The UAE acknowledged its support for the organisation's decision in a statement shared by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Adopted during its 36th extraordinary session, the council affirmed that such actions are contrary to the purposes of the IMO and represent a grave danger to life, particularly seafarers, and a 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, reflecting the international community’s shared responsibility to ensure the freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz.

With this decision, the IMO Council demanded that Iran immediately refrain from any actions or threats aimed at interfering with international navigation through or around the Strait of Hormuz.

It also reaffirmed that the exercise of navigational rights and freedoms by merchant and commercial vessels must be respected.

The UAE also welcomed the adoption by the Council of Japan’s proposal, which encourages the establishment of a framework for 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.

The ministry also reiterated 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.