ConflictClarifier

2026 Iran-Gulf Crisis Tracker
CC
Events Archive
diplomacyApr 16, 2026

UN maritime chief: No country can legally restrict Hormuz navigation

Summary

The Secretary-General of the UN’s International Maritime Organisation (IMO) told Euronews that shipping shouldn’t become "collateral" in conflicts. No country can "prohibit the freedom of navigation" on international waterways, the chief of the International Maritime Organisation (IMO), Arsenio Dominguez, told Euronews amid an ongoing standoff between Washington and Tehran over the passage of vessels through the Strait of Hormuz. Asked about the US Navy’s blockade of Iranian ports, which began this week, Dominguez told Euronews there is "no international law agreement that allows any country to prohibit the freedom of navigation on straits used for international navigation," calling for rapid de-escalation in the conflict gripping the Middle East to reinstate shipping transit. The US is relying on its fleet of naval vessels to control access to Iranian ports to restrict Tehran's ability to profit from oil exports in an attempt to economically pressure the country to reopen the Strait of Hormuz to maritime traffic. Despite the two-week ceasefire currently in place, the Strait of Hormuz — a critical trading waterway — has remained effectively closed, sending major ripple effects across the global economy. Shipping data suggests fewer than 300 ships have passed through the Strait since the war broke out in late February. Previously, an average of 138 passed each day, transporting around a fifth of global crude oil and liquified natural gas (LNG). Dominguez explained that Tehran has introduced a different corridor to the one recognised by the IMO in the Strait, and that he has no information about the safety of either corridor. He said his institution stands ready to implement an evacuation framework to free stranded ships and seafarers, and to restore transit, once the conflict ends definitively. "We have, since 1968, a traffic separation scheme that is coordinated between Oman and Iran, and this is established in accordance with international law. It's ready to resume operations," Dominguez said on Euronews' interview programme 12 Minutes With. "We are working with both countries, but we need security in the region for the ships and, in particular, the crew not to be at risk when they resume operations," he said, adding that these technical plans had been shared with both Washington and Iran. On Friday, France and the UK will co-host a summit to discuss potential steps to reopen the Strait once the conflict has subsided, with Prime Minister Keir Starmer suggesting that as many as 40 nations are part of the coalition. "This is multilateralism in the way that we need it," Dominguez said in response to the initiative. "I'm very grateful to the leadership of the countries of France and the United Kingdom, and I am engaging with them. We are providing the expertise from all the work that the organisation has put in place." ‘Shipping should not be used as collateral’ The IMO chief also rejected the way that shipping has been used as "collateral" in the conflict, saying "every single country" should respect the principles of free navigation to "serve the global population." "Shipping continues to be used as leverage for this political conflict, but it is important for everyone on the planet to recognise that the moment that shipping gets affected, that's going to have a negative impact on everybody else, on the way that we live our daily lives," he explained. There is increasing concern about the long-lasting effects of the war on the global economy, given the strategic importance of the Strait of Hormuz for global trade, and particularly the passage of oil and gas. Shipping is "resilient," Dominguez said, but said there is no alternative for transporting the critical fuel and gas, fertilisers, chemicals and automotive parts that emanate from the region. "That is an impact that we will not be able to address because you need shipping to actually carry those cargoes in bulk," he explained. "And this is why the sooner that this conflict comes to an end, the quicker that step-by-step shipping will resume normal operations and the economy will start easing off all this negative pressure." You can watch the full interview on 12 Minutes With on Thursday, 16 April, at 20.30 CET.

Actors involved

USIranUN

Sources

  • Mared Gwyn JonesBy Mared Gwyn Jones

    The Secretary-General of the UN’s International Maritime Organisation (IMO) told Euronews that shipping shouldn’t become "collateral" in conflicts. No country can "prohibit the freedom of navigation" on international waterways, the chief of the International Maritime Organisation

See this event through different lenses

Compare how Western, Iranian, Israeli, Global South, and Pro-Peace perspectives frame this event.

Compare Perspectives

Community Notes

Community Notes

Loading notes...

Related events

diplomacyUnverifiedUSIran
1 source

Key points: Bitcoin diverges from US stocks as Trump says Strait of Hormuz “open” Data from TradingView showed BTC/USD building on the week’s gains as the S&P 500 bounced from 7,696, its lowest level since Aug. 4. BTC/USD four-hour chart. Source: Cointelegraph/TradingView This came after US president Donald Trump posted a map of the closed Strait of Hormuz oil route to Truth Social where it was labeled “new US territory.

” Both the US and Iran lay claim to control of Hormuz, with Trump threatening US ally Oman with military action over its plans to work with Iran on charging tolls to shipping traffic. In a subsequent post, Trump confirmed that further diplomacy with Iran was not on the agenda.

“There are no talks or conversations going on, or scheduled, with the Islamic Republic of Iran. The Naval Blockade remains in full force and effect. The Hormuz Strait is open and operating. All water mines have been removed or detonated,” he wrote. S&P 500 one-day chart.

Source: Cointelegraph/TradingView As on Monday, oil avoided major volatility, with WTI crude down 1% at the time of writing at $84 per barrel. US government bonds continued to show strain, with the 30-year yield hitting 5.34%, its highest since January 2007.

“Bond prices are sending warnings,” BNY Mellon analyst Geoff Yu wrote in a research note quoted by the New York Times. Yu said that the surge came as “investors demand more compensation for inflation risk,” while also attributing the upside to government borrowing.

US 30-year bond yields one-month chart. Source: Cointelegraph/TradingView BTC price faces crunch rebound test Updating X followers on BTC/USD, trader and analyst Aksel Kibar eyed the culmination of a potential reverse head-and-shoulders pattern at $62,300.

Related: Bitcoin price spike to $64.5K was ‘low-volume liquidity trap’: Analysis “If $BTCUSD is going to rebound, it has to come from here,” he argued on Monday. Kibar offered a $53,000 target in the event of the head-and-shoulders structure failing, with $76,000 a potential upside target should the rebound sustain.

BTC/USD one-day chart. Source: Aksel Kibar on X.com Previously, Cointelegraph reported that underwater investors were contributing to Bitcoin’s inability to break higher. Its rebound to $64,500 also stopped short of an overhead trend line, the 50-month exponential moving average (EMA).

This moving average is now in place as resistance at $65,827.

Location: Strait of Hormuz
diplomacyUnverifiedUSIran
1 source

Trump says no talks underway with Iran, Hormuz blockade remains in place US president says no discussions are taking place or planned with Tehran and reiterates that the naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz remains fully operational Washington: US President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that no talks are taking place with Iran and that no discussions are currently scheduled between the two countries.

In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump also said the naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz remains "in full force and effect." The president did not provide further details regarding US policy towards Iran or any potential future diplomatic engagement.

Trump's comments come amid continued tensions between Washington and Tehran and renewed focus on security and navigation through the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world's most important oil shipping routes.

Location: Tehran
diplomacyUnverifiedUSIran
1 source

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Tuesday that Iran had “won both the war and diplomacy,” claiming those who initially sought Tehran’s “unconditional surrender” later sought negotiations. Speaking at an event, Araghchi said Iran resisted for days against what he described as “the world’s largest apparent military,” alongside another army claiming military power and with the support of nearly all Western countries and some other states inside and outside the region, according to the Tasnim news agency.

“Those who were seeking unconditional surrender, shortly after the war began, begged for negotiations,” Araghchi said. He claimed Tehran initially rejected a ceasefire and continued fighting until reaching a point where the other side accepted a ceasefire and negotiations “on Iran’s terms.

” “We fought with strength, and we negotiated with strength,” he said, adding that many foreign ministers had told him: “You won both the war and diplomacy.” Araghchi’s remarks came after US President Donald Trump called on Iran on Monday to give up and “raise the white flag.

Location: Tehran
diplomacyUnverifiedUSIran
1 source

- Iran demands US lift sanctions and return frozen assets to reopen Strait of Hormuz - Iran's Parliament Speaker warns closure of Strait continues until US ends military threats - Around 20% of global oil supply passes through the Strait, impacting energy security Iran has warned that the Strait of Hormuz will remain closed until the US meets a set of conditions, including the release of frozen Iranian assets, an end to oil sanctions and what Tehran describes as a US blockade and military threats.

Al-Arabiya English reported that Iran's Parliament Speaker and top negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said the Trump administration must meet the conditions before Tehran considers reopening the strategic waterway. “Until the Trump regime removes the blockade, ends the wars across the region, returns Iran's stolen assets, lifts the oil sanctions, and ceases its military threats, the Strait of Hormuz will remain closed,” Ghalibaf said.

Until the Trump regime removes the blockade, ends the wars across the region, returns Iran's stolen assets, lifts the oil sanctions, and ceases its military threats, the Strait of Hormuz will remain closed. pic.twitter.com/fl2RrKnT1R— Seyed Mohammad Marandi (@s_m_marandi) August 18, 2026 Ghalibaf also warned that Iran was prepared to respond more forcefully depending on the actions of its adversaries.

ALSO READ: 'We Control Hormuz': Trump To Declare Strait As US Territory? Here's What President Says The comments add a new condition to an already fragile diplomatic environment, with the Strait of Hormuz at the centre of concerns over global energy supplies.

Around one-fifth of global oil supply typically passes through the waterway, making any prolonged disruption a major risk for crude markets, shipping and energy security. Earlier, Press TV reported that Ghalibaf is scheduled to travel to Baghdad on Wednesday at the head of a high-level Iranian delegation for discussions with Iraqi leaders.

The talks are expected to cover regional developments and bilateral cooperation, including border security, counterterrorism, economic ties and implementation of existing agreements. Iraqi media have also reported that the agenda could include a proposal concerning Iraqi oil exports through the Strait of Hormuz.

The visit comes as regional governments grapple with the implications of continued disruption in one of the world's most important energy corridors. ALSO READ: Hormuz Tensions: Another Ship Hit By Unknown Projectile, Says UKMTO Centre The security situation in the waterway has also remained tense.

The UK's Maritime Trade Operations agency, or UKMTO, said a vessel reported being struck by an unknown projectile while conducting an outbound transit of the Strait of Hormuz. “The Company Security Officer has reported that the vessel was struck by an unknown projectile while conducting an outbound transit of the Strait of Hormuz,” UKMTO said.

The impact damaged the vessel's engine room and resulted in a crew casualty, the agency said. The remaining crew was being assisted by the Omani coastguard. Essential Business Intelligence, Sharp Market Insights, Practical Personal Finance Advice, Daily Fuel, Gold and Silver Prices and Latest Stories — On NDTV Profit.

Location: Tehran