LONDON - The head of the International Maritime Organization on Thursday rejected proposals by U.S. President Donald Trump and Iran to charge fees for the safe passage of ships through the Strait of Hormuz, saying such fees are "not in line with international law."
"If it's not in accordance to international law, if it doesn't have a fundamental basis to actually be introduced, it's something that is not applicable," IMO Secretary General Arsenio Dominguez said in an interview with Kyodo News in London.
The U.N. agency began evacuating ships stranded in the region in June, but operations were quickly suspended following attacks on merchant vessels. Around 500 vessels remain stuck, and Dominguez said restarting the evacuation would require assurances from both Iran and the United States that ships would not be targeted.
Dominguez acknowledged there had been "conversations" about a new framework for the organization to monitor the strait together with Iran and Oman, the two countries bordering the strait, but said an official proposal has yet to be put forward.
With Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthis declaring a maritime blockade against vessels linked to Saudi Arabia, Dominguez stressed that "shipping shouldn't be used as collateral in any geopolitical conflict" as he expressed concern over rising tensions around the Red Sea.
Asia, which relies heavily on crude oil imports from the Middle East, is among the regions most affected by the instability surrounding the strait, Dominguez said, noting that Japan, as a shipping nation, could play a "very active role" in deescalating the conflict and facilitating negotiations between the parties.
