Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi has stated that ships entering the Strait of Hormuz must cooperate with the Iranian navy, following reports of a ship being seized outside a United Arab Emirates port and taken towards Iranian waters.
Incident Details
The UK Maritime Trading Organisation reported that the docked ship was seized by “unauthorised personnel” while anchored off the coast of the UAE port of Fujairah, near the southern entry to the Strait of Hormuz. Araghchi, attending a Brics meeting in India, described Iran as invincible and emphasized that while the strait is open to commercial ships, they must cooperate with Iranian naval forces.
Diplomatic Tensions
Araghchi told the UAE delegate that cooperation with Israel would not protect the Gulf state. This follows Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's claim of a secret wartime trip to the UAE, which the UAE has denied. Iran has largely closed the strait since the US-Israeli bombing campaign began, with the US imposing a counterblockade on Iranian ports, leaving thousands of ships stranded.
Araghchi called on Brics nations to condemn US and Israeli violations of international law, stating, “What was once considered unthinkable and deeply shameful is now either ignored or openly accepted in western capitals: horrific genocides, shocking violations of state sovereignty, and outright piracy on the high seas.” He urged that the west's false sense of superiority must be shattered.
UN Security Council Resolution
Iran is facing a significant rebuff at the UN, where over 110 nations are co-sponsoring a security council resolution condemning the Iranian blockade. The resolution, tabled by Bahrain and the US, demands Iran cease attacks on shipping, remove illegal mines, drop proposed tolls, disclose mine locations, and cooperate on a humanitarian corridor. An earlier resolution was vetoed by Russia and China on April 7. The new draft, which removes reference to Chapter VII authorization, is expected to be discussed soon.
China-Iran Deal
Iran announced a deal with China allowing oil tankers bound for China to transit the strait since Wednesday night, with China agreeing to limited charges, reportedly around $1 per barrel. This suggests China accepts Iran's changed shipping rules, undercutting US opposition.
Six Gulf States, excluding Oman, jointly wrote to the UN urging Iran to refrain from restrictive measures. Oman is in talks with the UN to establish a new administrative regime for the strait, including payment for services.
