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UN chief: No country has the right to block the Strait of Hormuz
The head of the organization responsible for global maritime security has said that no country has the legal right to block the Strait of Hormuz. Arsenio Dominguez, Secretary-General of the International Maritime Organization (IMO), said that while the US blockade "appears to be very specific to access to Iranian ports", legally there was no basis for any country to block the waterway. "In ...
Is a US blockade of the Strait of Hormuz legal? An expert explains
With peace negotiations between the United States and Iran breaking down in Pakistan, the fragile ceasefire is again on the brink of collapse. US President Donald Trump has again upped the war rhetoric, saying the U.S. Navy will now blockade the Strait of Hormuz.The president said the US would intercept ships that had paid Iran a toll to pass through the strait, accusing Iran of “extortion” in charging the fee.However, the New York Times is reporting the US military plans to block only Iranian ports and coastal areas, while allowing other vessels to pass through, which appears to be a softening of the president’s initial statement. It reported the blockade would begin on Monday morning, US Eastern time.So if such a blockade goes ahead, what would it mean and what implications would it have?In warfare, a blockade is legalAt the moment, we are in something of a holding pattern in the US-Israel-Iran war. Peace talks were underway – though have since collapsed – but there is no active force being used at the moment. However, there is also not a settled peace.So the critical question is whether the US or Iran is engaging in any conduct that imperils a ceasefire – and US naval ships blockading the Strait Hormuz, a vital economic passage, would certainly do that.In purely legal terms, if the US imposes a blockade then the ceasefire is over and hostilities have resumed. Since the most recent hostilities commenced on February 28, Iran has effectively been prohibiting navigation in the strait.Major Iranian oil ports, terminals and refineries (Reuters, CC BY-SA)Iran’s conduct can be justified on the grounds that an armed conflict has been underway and the safety of all shipping passing through the strait has been under threat. Some ships have passed through the strait either under Iranian escort, or reportedly after having paid a form of “toll” to Iran. This conduct needs to be understood in the context of an international armed conflict where normal freedoms of navigation are suspended.It’s also important to make a distinction between the actors in this scenario. In international law, we talk about “belligerents” and “neutrals” in terms of war. There is no question the US, Israel and Iran are belligerents in this case. So this means the US, as a belligerent, can legitimately impose a blockade under international law – specifically, the law of naval warfare.There is a long history of countries imposing maritime blockades as a method of warfare. The most recent exampl...
No country can block Strait of Hormuz shipping, UN maritime chief warns ...
The UN maritime agency chief Arsenio Dominguez stated Monday that no nation possesses the legal authority to obstruct shipping in the Strait of Hormuz. Access to this vital trade route remains blocked six weeks after the US-Iran war began. Dominguez emphasized that prohibiting innocent passage through international straits violates international law.
No country can block Strait of Hormuz shipping, UN maritime chief warns ...
No country can block Strait of Hormuz shipping, UN maritime chief warns amid US-Iran tensions 2026-04-13, 18:10, The Economic Times Headlines WN.com - Related Articles
