New York: The International Maritime Organization (IMO), a specialized agency of the United Nations has stated that imposing tolls or transit fees on commercial vessels passing through the Strait of Hormuz is contrary to international law. The organization also expressed serious concern over the safety of thousands of seafarers stranded in the Gulf amid ongoing regional tensions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
IMO Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez said that commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz has come to a near standstill since hostilities resumed on July 12 and 13. According to him, nearly 500 vessels are currently anchored in the Gulf, with around 6,000 seafarers facing significant security risks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He emphasized that global trade depends heavily on these seafarers, as nearly 90 percent of the world’s goods are transported by sea. Any prolonged disruption to maritime shipping, he warned, would have far-reaching consequences for the global economy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Dominguez noted that the international shipping industry has already been under immense pressure in recent years due to multiple crises, and the current conflict could further exacerbate the situation. He urged commercial vessels to avoid transiting the Strait of Hormuz until the conflict subsides.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
According to the IMO, the immediate priority is the safe evacuation of all seafarers stranded in the Gulf as a result of the conflict. Once their safety is ensured, efforts should focus on clearing naval mines, restoring security in the Strait of Hormuz, and gradually resuming maritime traffic so that the waterway can return to its pre-conflict average of approximately 135 vessel transits per day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The IMO Secretary-General further clarified that under international law, no country has the legal authority to impose tolls or additional transit charges on commercial ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz. Citing the 2007 cooperation framework for the Straits of Malacca and Singapore, he noted that no additional fees are charged for vessels using those international waterways, underscoring the principle of freedom of navigation.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
New York: The International Maritime Organization (IMO), a specialized agency of the United Nations has stated that imposing tolls or transit fees on commercial vessels passing through the Strait of Hormuz is contrary to international law. The organization also expressed serious concern over the safety of thousands of seafarers stranded in the Gulf amid ongoing […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":1449,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_eb_attr":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[11,13],"tags":[35,34],"class_list":["post-1448","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-latest","category-world","tag-un","tag-united-nations"],"yoast_head":"\n