Eu Day Light

According to CCTV, International Maritime Organization (IMO) Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez said commercial vessels should stay away from the Strait of Hormuz due to security risks in the area.

Speaking during a question-and-answer session following the opening of the IMO Council's 138th session, Dominguez stated that it had not been possible to verify whether sea mines in the strait had been cleared and that the safe navigation of vessels could not be guaranteed.

Dominguez reported that numerous vessels had been attacked in the strait, noting that ongoing hostilities had prevented investigations into the incidents from being completed. He said it had not yet been determined whether some of the attacks were caused by mines, drones or missiles.

Dominguez also praised China's role, as a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council, in efforts to reduce tensions in the region. Stating that the IMO would deepen its maritime cooperation with China, Dominguez announced that the organization had signed an additional support agreement with China covering the development of the IMO's technical capacity, port infrastructure and project support.

The protection of vital maritime trade routes and the situation in the Strait of Hormuz are being discussed during the IMO Council's five-day session, held in London from November 2 to 6.

Meanwhile, according to reports in Iranian media, Tehran submitted an official report to the IMO containing evidence of attacks allegedly carried out by the United States and Israel against Iranian ports, civilian vessels and maritime infrastructure since late February. The report was reportedly circulated to the organization's member states and is scheduled to be reviewed during the current session.