IRAN has issued a tersely worded statement to the International Maritime Organization accusing the US and Israel of breaching international law and the IMO of acting outside of its remit.

Ostensibly the paper submitted to the IMO’s Legal Committee, meeting this week in London, takes issue with a United Arab Emirates-backed proposal to establish a so-called “safe maritime corridor”. Iran argues the plan is procedurally invalid and states that any corridor must be agreed with the full consent and coordination of Iran as the relevant coastal state.

 


 

The bulk of the submission, however, takes aim at the “unlawful use of force against Iran by the US and Israel. It argues that the current deterioration of maritime safety and security in the Middle East Gulf region is a direct consequence of acts of military aggression by the US and the Israeli regime against Iran which violates the Charter of the United Nations”.

“In response to this aggression, Iran has exercised its inherent right of self-defence under Article 51 of the UN Charter. Any legal assessment that isolates the maritime consequences from this root cause is incomplete and legally flawed,” the Iran paper reads.

According to Iran’s assessment 39 commercial vessels have been attacked and sunk, while 20 seafarers have been killed.

Iran has not specified the details behind those numbers.

“These acts constitute serious violations of international law, including international humanitarian law, the law of the sea, and the principles enshrined in IMO instruments... These are not simple numbers; these are war crimes and crimes against humanity,” the Iran paper states.

Iran then goes on to call for an immediate cessation of all acts targeting maritime safety infrastructure, medical vessels and civilian shipping.

 


 

Meanwhile the United Arab Emirates also submitted a late paper on Monday calling out the Iranian attacks on ships in the MEG and its restriction of traffic in the Strait of Hormuz.

The UAE has complained to the IMO that Iran has threatened vessels with the presence of sea mines in and around the Strait of Hormuz and reportedly established a toll system for vessels passing through the strait. MSC Accra (IMO: 8408844)

“These actions are clear violations of international law and are contrary to the principles and purposes of the IMO,” the UAE paper argues.

While the exchange of complaints via the IMO is unlikely to result in any official action beyond recording the statements, the committee has offered states a platform to air grievances via UN channels. Alexander Beggrov (IMO: 9876373)

Iran has characterised the IMO’s Council statements on the current conflict in the MEG as politically motivated. Iran suggests that any attempt to agree a safe maritime corridor without the Islamic state’s explicit approval risks “further politicising the work of the IMO and undermining its technical integrity”.