IMO Council Reaffirms Freedom of Navigation, Condemns Attacks on Commercial Shipping

The International Maritime Organization’s Council has adopted a resolution reaffirming freedom of navigation through international straits, condemning attacks on commercial vessels, and calling for unhindered transit through the Strait of Hormuz amid renewed tensions in the Middle East.

The resolution, adopted at the conclusion of last week’s IMO Council’s 137th session, underscores that the right of transit passage through straits used for international navigation “should not be threatened, impeded, denied, hampered, impaired or suspended” and emphasizes that coastal states must regulate traffic in accordance with international law and IMO conventions.

The statement comes as commercial shipping continues to face