TEHRAN – Iran has formally rejected a draft proposal before the International Maritime Organization (IMO) Council, describing it as politically motivated, legally unfounded, and beyond the Council’s technical mandate, while reaffirming that navigation through the Strait of Hormuz remains open under safety and security coordination measures.

In a document submitted to the IMO Council on July 6, the Islamic Republic argued that the primary source of maritime instability in the Persian Gulf, the Sea of Oman, and the Strait of Hormuz is 'military aggression by the United States and Israel against Iran.' The submission also criticized the involvement of several regional states, asserting that their participation or support had contributed to heightened risks for international shipping.

The document urges the IMO to preserve its role as a neutral and technical body, warning against turning the organization into a forum for political disputes. Tehran argues that the Council lacks the legal authority to determine international responsibility, adjudicate sovereignty disputes, or define the legal regime governing strategic waterways such as the Strait of Hormuz.

According to the submission, Iran remains committed to ensuring maritime safety, search and rescue operations, environmental protection, and the uninterrupted flow of commercial shipping. It stresses that the Strait of Hormuz has not been closed and that maritime traffic continues under 'appropriate supervisory and security coordination measures implemented by the coastal state.'

Tehran rejects allegations that it sought to disrupt international navigation, insisting that the measures adopted in and around the Strait are regulatory and precautionary responses to exceptional security conditions created by military threats and acts of aggression. The document maintains that these actions are intended to safeguard navigation, protect seafarers, and prevent the waterway from being used to facilitate hostile military operations.

A central element of Iran’s submission is its longstanding legal position on the Strait of Hormuz. Tehran reiterates that it is not a party to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and therefore does not recognize the treaty-based regime of transit passage invoked by some states. Instead, Iran maintains that navigation through the Strait falling within its territorial waters is governed by the principle of innocent passage, under which the coastal state retains sovereign authority to adopt laws and security measures necessary to protect its peace, order, and national security.

The document also highlights ongoing consultations with the Sultanate of Oman regarding traffic management and coordination in the Strait, describing the discussions as part of bilateral efforts to ensure safe navigation in accordance with international law and national regulations.

Iran further accuses the draft IMO document of presenting a selective account of regional developments by omitting 'unlawful blockade measures imposed by the United States, the seizure of Iranian commercial vessels and cargoes, and attacks on Iranian maritime infrastructure.'

According to the submission, the conflict has caused significant damage to Iran’s maritime sector. According to Tehran 116 maritime incidents involving 367 vessels were recorded during the recent conflict and ceasefire period, including the destruction of 254 ships. It also reports casualties among seafarers, damage to vessel traffic service stations, maritime operations centers, and other navigation infrastructures.

The document dismisses allegations that Iran engaged in mine-laying activities in the Strait of Hormuz, calling the accusations entirely baseless and unsupported by credible evidence. It argues that such claims are intended to construct a false narrative and undermine Iran’s standing in international maritime affairs.

In its concluding recommendations, Tehran calls on the IMO Council to reject the draft proposal, reaffirm the organization's technical and impartial character, avoid taking positions on disputed legal issues concerning the Strait of Hormuz, and ensure that future reports reflect 'all sources of regional maritime risk, including military actions against Iran, coercive maritime restrictions, and interference with Iranian commercial shipping.'

Iran also urges the Council to ensure that any future arrangements concerning maritime safety, traffic coordination, emergency response, or technical cooperation in the Strait of Hormuz are developed in full consultation with the beneficiary coastal states and without prejudice to their sovereignty, legal positions, and jurisdiction.

The submission concludes that preserving the neutrality and technical integrity of the International Maritime Organization is essential to maintaining confidence in the UN maritime agency and preventing it from becoming a platform for political pressure against member states.