Amir Saeid Iravani, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of the Iran to the United Nations, affirmed that Iran has consistently defended freedom of navigation and maritime security in the Persian Gulf, the Strait of Hormuz, and the Gulf of Oman, while warning of the consequences of military escalation in the region.

In remarks delivered in a speech, Iravani stressed that lasting stability and security in the Gulf and the wider region cannot be achieved except through a permanent and continuous halt to aggression against Iran, backed by reliable guarantees that it will not be repeated, along with full respect for Iran’s legitimate sovereign rights and interests.

He stated that the United States and the Israeli entity had, since February 28, launched a “broad and unjustified war of aggression” against Iran, in blatant violation of international law and the United Nations Charter, particularly Article 2(4), resulting in threats to regional and international security and disruption to freedom of navigation.

Iravani also said that the Strait of Hormuz has increasingly been used to support military operations, including the transfer of equipment intended for hostile acts against Iran, which exposes international shipping to unprecedented risks in the Gulf.

The Iranian envoy further stated that the United States continues internationally unlawful actions by imposing a naval blockade, seizing Iranian commercial vessels, and detaining their crews. He called on the United Nations Security Council to condemn these steps and demand their immediate release.

He emphasized that Iran, as a major coastal state through whose territorial waters the Strait of Hormuz passes, has taken practical measures consistent with international law to ensure safe navigation and prevent the waterway from being used for military purposes.

Iravani concluded by asserting that any disruption to maritime transport in the Persian Gulf, the Gulf of Oman, and the Strait of Hormuz lies “directly on the shoulders of the United States and its aggressor allies,” as their policies are the cause of escalating tensions and threats to maritime security.