IMO Rejects US-Iran Proposal to Charge Fees for Hormuz Strait Passage

The International Maritime Organization (IMO) has rejected a proposal by United States President Donald Trump and Iran to charge fees for ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz, as such a levy would be inconsistent with international law. “If it is not in accordance with international law and if it does not have a strong basis to actually be enforced, then it cannot be applied,” said IMO Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez in an interview with Kyodo News in London on Thursday (23/7). Since June, the UN body has begun evacuating ships trapped in the Strait of Hormuz area, but the evacuation operation was soon halted after attacks on merchant vessels. Approximately 500 ships are reportedly still trapped in the region. Dominguez said evacuations can only resume if Iran and the United States can provide guarantees that the ships will not be targeted. He also revealed that there have been discussions regarding a new framework for the IMO to monitor the Strait of Hormuz together with Iran and Oman. However, no formal proposal has yet been submitted regarding the mechanism. Dominguez also highlighted the rising tensions in the Red Sea, after the Iran-backed Houthi group in Yemen announced a maritime blockade against ships linked to Saudi Arabia. According to him, international shipping should not be used as a tool in geopolitical conflicts. “Maritime transport should not be held hostage in any geopolitical conflict,” said Dominguez. He added that Asia is one of the regions most affected by the instability in the Strait of Hormuz, due to its dependence on crude oil imports from the Middle East. Dominguez also assessed that Japan, as a maritime nation, could play a very active role in helping to de-escalate tensions and facilitate negotiations between the warring parties.