Iran rejects UN-backed plan to free ships trapped in Strait of Hormuz
Iran has rejected a UN-backed proposal for mass evacuation of commercial ships still trapped in the Strait of Hormuz, creating a new threat to free passage through the waterway that carries one-fifth of the world’s oil.
The decision blocks a plan coordinated by Oman and the International Maritime Organization to establish temporary shipping lanes through the strait, which has been effectively closed since Iran shut it in April. The IRGC warned vessels to stick exclusively to routes designated by Tehran, calling any lanes not coordinated with Iran “unacceptable and dangerous.”
The IRGC Navy urged ships to communicate via maritime Channel 16 and threatened action against those who ignored its requirements.
The rejection comes at a fragile moment. The US and Iran signed a framework peace deal on June 17 that includes a 60-day negotiation period, and the agreement requires Iran to let shipping flow freely through the Strait of Hormuz during those talks. But the deal’s details remain disputed on nearly every point: financial incentives for Iran, inspections of its nuclear facilities, control of the strait, and Israel’s parallel war in Lebanon.
Iran’s rejection of the IMO-backed evacuation plan signals that Tehran intends to maintain control over what passes through the strait, even as it negotiates with Washington.
The human cost is mounting. The UN had been coordinating an evacuation of roughly 11,000 stranded sailors from vessels trapped since the blockade began. Many of these ships have been anchored in the Gulf for months, running low on supplies. The IMO suspended its evacuation efforts after a Singapore-flagged ship was attacked in the strait this week, and Iran’s rejection effectively ends the UN-led option.
Before the waterway was blockaded in February, when the US and Israel launched strikes on Iran that triggered Tehran’s closure of the strait, the Strait of Hormuz carried about 20 million barrels of oil per day. The closure sent global energy prices spiking and forced Asian economies to scramble for alternative supplies from Russia and other sources.
Iran has suggested it might impose tolls on ships passing through the strait after the 60-day negotiation window expires. The IRGC has floated the idea of environmental, navigation, and security fees for vessels transiting Iranian-designated waters. Washington and its Gulf allies oppose any such fees.
The rejection also undercuts Oman’s role as a mediator. Oman shares control of the strait with Iran and has historically served as a neutral channel between Tehran and the West. The Omani plan had been developed in coordination with the IMO and was seen as the most practical path to begin clearing the backlog of stranded vessels.
The IRGC statement makes clear that Iran views the strait as its domain. Ships seeking to transit must coordinate with the Revolutionary Guards Navy, not with the UN or any international body.
The rejection puts Washington in a difficult position. The June 17 framework deal requires Iran to permit free navigation, but the deal itself is a fragile 60-day political roadmap, not a binding treaty. If Iran blocks the strait during negotiations, the administration faces a choice: enforce the deal’s terms militarily and risk collapsing the talks, or accept Iranian control and weaken its own stated position on freedom of navigation.
For Gulf states, the Iranian move confirms their worst fears about the deal. Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Bahrain have all warned that the accord does not address Iran’s behavior beyond nuclear issues. The IRGC’s Hormuz posture suggests they were right. Washington’s Gulf allies now face the prospect that the US traded away maritime security in exchange for an uncertain nuclear deal.
The economic damage is already done. Global shipping lines have rerouted around the Horn of Africa, adding weeks to transit times and billions in costs. Insurance premiums for Gulf transits remain at wartime levels. The IMO estimates that the backlog of stranded vessels now exceeds 60 ships, carrying combined cargo worth more than $2 billion in crude oil, refined products, and liquefied natural gas.
For the thousands of seafarers still stuck on vessels in the Gulf, that leaves no clear path home.