Industry concerns grow that freedom of navigation is now a political bargaining chip
- Freedom of navigation is non-negotiable, warns IMO secretary-general
- A US-Bahrain draft UN resolution demands Iran halt attacks, minelaying and proposed ship tolls, while Washington argues global trade stability is at stake
- IMO warns any compromise on established maritime law would set a dangerous global precedent, undermining long‑standing rules governing international straits
Iran’s insistence on ‘management’ and sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz has intensified fears that freedom of navigation is being used as leverage in conflict negotiations
