Global Geopolitical Series: Iran lodges complaint to IMO over U.S. sanctions

Iran has formally launched a complaint at the International Maritime Organization (IMO) against the United States for violating the terms of Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPoA) and re-imposing sanctions against Iran, which also targets Iranian vessels used for transporting the countries’ oil exports.

Yesterday, Iran's Ambassador to the UK Hamid Baeidinejad said that his diplomatic mission has submitted a letter to the London-based IMO body to voice Iran's protest of the unlawful US sanctions. The country argues that the sanctions violate International Maritime Law, as well as Iran’s maritime sovereignty and endangering maritime security.

The United States has also threatened the countries around the world against allowing Iranian vessels to port as it would automatically impose sanctions on the country and the port. The United States has also extended its ban on ship insurers which leads to tough time for Iranian vessels to find an insurer and depend more on domestic insurers who might again face dollar crunch in international payments.

Other partners to the agreement (China, Russia, France, Germany, and the UK) remains opposed to U.S. actions and have taken steps to protect the agreement which Iran said would exit from should it fail to deliver promised economic returns.