US Commends Decision To Reject Iran's Hosting Of Maritime Meeting

The United States expressed its appreciation for the International Maritime Organization's (IMO) decision to decline Iran's proposal to host a maritime meeting in Tehran.

The rejection was formally announced by the IMO on Thursday, and the US government expressed its support for the decision.

Citing Iran's history of disregarding international maritime regulations and safety standards, as well as its interference with unhindered navigation of commercial vessels, State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller articulated the US stance on Thursday.

"Iran has no business hosting any official international gathering related to maritime affairs, because it has repeatedly demonstrated its contempt for international maritime rules, standards, and safety. [They are] interfering with the free navigation of vessels recently, so we did think that it was appropriate that they not be allowed to host this event, and the IMO agreed with that," said Miller during a briefing.

The rejection came as a result of a proposal led by Washington at the UN shipping agency's Council. The Council, comprising representatives from 40 countries, voted in favor of the proposal.

This development is expected to exacerbate tensions between the United States and Iran, particularly in light of a recent incident where Iran made an attempt to seize the Richmond Voyager tanker in international waters back in July.

To substantiate their case against Iran's hosting bid, the US, with the backing of Britain, submitted a working paper to the IMO's Council. According to Reuters, the document highlighted Iran's aggressive actions against more than 20 commercial vessels over the past two years.

The regime condemned the US for Tehran’s rejection, Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani claiming that “The United States once again exposed its arrogant and colonial nature by obstructing the shipping event in Iran.”