IMO Chief Says No State Can Close The Strait of Hormuz or Charge Transit Fees

Arsenio Dominguez, The Secretary‑General of the International Maritime Organization (IMO)

The Secretary‑General of the International Maritime Organization (IMO), Arsenio Dominguez, declared on Monday, 13 April 2026, that no country has the authority under international law to close the Strait of Hormuz to maritime traffic or to impose transit fees on vessels passing through the strategic waterway.

Speaking at a press conference, Dominguez emphasized that freedom of navigation and the right of safe passage through international straits are protected by international conventions. “No country has the right to prohibit safe passage or freedom of navigation through straits used for international transit,” he said.

Dominguez downplayed the potential impact of the US‑announced blockade on Iranian ports, noting that traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has already been reduced by 90 percent since the outbreak of war in late February. He stressed that escalation would only deepen the crisis, while de‑escalation is essential to restoring maritime traffic to its previous levels.

The IMO chief also warned against attempts to levy transit fees, calling such measures “contrary to international maritime law and customary law” and cautioning that they would set a dangerous precedent for global shipping.

His remarks come as the United States confirmed it had begun enforcing a blockade of Iranian ports following the collapse of negotiations with Tehran in Islamabad. The Strait of Hormuz, once a conduit for nearly one‑fifth of the world’s crude oil and liquefied natural gas shipments, has become a focal point of geopolitical confrontation, with global energy markets already reeling from restricted flows.