Abbas Araghchi Says Iran Has the Right to Block Enemy Ships in the Strait of Hormuz

Iranian FM Abbas Araghchi on Strait of Hormuz: Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres that Iran, as a coastal state, has the legal right to stop the movement of ships belonging to enemies and their allies.

Iran on Strait of Hormuz: Several countries are facing an energy crisis following an attack by the United States and Israel on Iran last month, on February 28. Not only this, the price of oil in the Middle East war has also surged. In such a situation, after an appeal from the United Nations, Iran has declared India, China, Russia, Pakistan, and Iraq as friendly nations and has allowed their ships to pass through the Strait of Hormuz.

Regarding this, Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres that Iranian officials are aware of their responsibilities for safe navigation. They have taken the necessary steps to ensure security in the waterway. During this, he also said that it is the legal right of Iran, as a coastal state, to stop the movement of ships belonging to enemies and their allies.

Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi accused US forces of using citizens of the Gulf Cooperation Council as 'human shields'. He also claimed that American soldiers were hiding in hotels and offices after leaving military bases. For this, he shared a report from the American media and a hotel booking receipt. He urged hotels in the Gulf to refuse rooms to such officers and warned that their presence could pose a threat to civilians.

Preparation to levy tolls in Hormuz

Iran is preparing to enact legislation to collect tolls from ships passing through the Hormuz Strait. This information was provided by Iran's state news agencies, Fars and Tasnim. The report stated that the Iranian Parliament is preparing to pass a draft law.

This law will grant Iranian authorities the authority to collect fees from ships transiting this vital waterway. The report indicated that the proposal has been drafted and will soon be finalised by the legal team of the legislature. The objective of this proposal is to formally recognise Iran's sovereignty and to generate revenue through tolls.