Iran: Responsibility for any disruption in Strait of Hormuz lies squarely with US aggression

Iran has categorically stated that any disruption or obstruction in maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz and surrounding waters is the direct responsibility of the United States and its allies, whose reckless and illegal actions have turned a vital international waterway into a zone of heightened tension and danger.

Speaking at a United Nations Security Council high-level open debate on the safety and protection of waterways in the maritime domain on Monday, Iran’s Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the UN, Amir Saeed Iravani, blamed Washington and its allies for escalating threats to maritime security.

“Responsibility for any disruption, obstruction or other interference in maritime transport in the Persian Gulf, the Sea of Oman and the Strait of Hormuz lies directly with the aggressors, namely the United States and its supporters, whose illegal and destabilizing actions have escalated tensions and endangered maritime safety and freedom of navigation,” Iravani stated.

The Iranian envoy emphasized that the Islamic Republic has always upheld freedom of navigation and maritime security in the Persian Gulf, the Strait of Hormuz and the Sea of Oman.

For decades, Iran has responsibly fulfilled its duties as a coastal state, guaranteeing the safety of sea lanes and the smooth flow of international shipping, he said.

Iravani pointed out that the current crisis stems from the widespread and unjustified war of aggression launched by the United States and the Israeli regime against Iran since February 28.

“Since February 28, the United States and the Israeli regime have waged an unwarranted large-scale war of aggression against Iran,” Iravani said.

These acts constitute a blatant violation of international law and the UN Charter, particularly Article 2(4), directly undermining maritime security and threatening regional and global peace, Iravani said.

He warned that the Strait of Hormuz has been increasingly militarized by the US and its allies to facilitate hostile operations against Iran, including the movement of military equipment aimed at aggression.

This dangerous militarization has exposed international shipping to unprecedented risks in the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz.

“Meanwhile, the United States has continued its international wrongdoing by imposing a so-called naval blockade, illegally seizing Iranian merchant ships, and detaining their crews,” Iravani declared.

“These dangerous and escalating actions violate international law, violate the Charter of the United Nations, constitute the crime of piracy, and are defined as acts of aggression under Article 3(c) of General Assembly Resolution 3314 of December 14, 1974,” he said.

Iran strongly condemns these illegal measures and has called on the Security Council to take a decisive stand and condemn the aggressors, ensure full accountability, and demand the immediate and unconditional release of all seized Iranian ships and crews.

As the primary coastal state whose territorial sea includes the Strait of Hormuz, Iran has implemented necessary and lawful practical measures in full accordance with international law to counter emerging threats, safeguard safe navigation, and prevent the vital waterway from being misused for hostile military purposes.

These steps strike a proper balance between the security needs of the coastal state and the continued safe passage of ships in an extremely tense environment, the ambassador explained.

Iravani noted that Iran is not a party to the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and is therefore not bound by its treaty provisions, except where they reflect generally recognized customary international law.

“Enduring stability and security in the Persian Gulf and the wider region can only be achieved through a lasting and permanent cessation of aggression against Iran, accompanied by credible guarantees of non-repetition and full respect for Iran’s legitimate sovereign rights and interests,” he stressed.

The Iranian ambassador categorically rejected all accusations leveled against Iran during the meeting, describing them as baseless claims lacking any legal foundation and designed solely to divert attention from the criminal actions of the United States and its allies.

“These claims once again reveal their double standards,” Iravani said.

“Their so-called concern for maritime safety is neither genuine nor consistent with their own actions. They speak of protecting navigation rights while deliberately ignoring the United States’ illegal naval blockade and its recent terrorist attacks on Iranian merchant ships — acts that bear all the hallmarks of piracy and hostage-taking,” he said.

Iravani made it crystal clear that any attempt to shift blame onto Iran is invalid and without merit. The responsibility for any disruption in the Persian Gulf, Sea of Oman, or Strait of Hormuz rests entirely with the real aggressors — the United States and its supporters — whose destabilizing policies continue to jeopardize international maritime security.

US seizure of Iranian vessel endangers patients: Red Crescent official

The US seizure of an Iranian cargo vessel carrying vital medical supplies has directly endangered the lives of patients in Iran, a senior official from the Iranian Red Crescent Society (IRCS) has revealed.

Iravani's remarks underscore Tehran's longstanding position that Washington's extraterritorial sanctions and naval operations constitute a direct assault on the sovereignty of independent nations and the freedom of navigation enshrined in international conventions, including the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

Such actions by the US are not isolated incidents but part of a broader pattern of economic terrorism aimed at strangling Iran's legitimate oil exports.

By targeting vessels in international waters far from US jurisdiction, Washington is effectively imposing a de facto blockade on global energy markets, destabilizing prices and punishing nations seeking to engage in lawful trade with the Islamic Republic.

Iran has repeatedly warned that these provocative measures not only violate core principles of international law but also risk escalating tensions in critical maritime chokepoints.

Press TV’s website can also be accessed at the following alternate addresses:

www.presstv.co.uk