Russia Says Blocking Iran’s Trade Without UN Mandate Violates International Law
Zakharova says Moscow’s position on US-Israeli actions against Iran remains unchanged
TEHRAN: Russia has rejected any blockade, sanctions or restrictions on Iran’s normal trade and logistical activities without authorization from the United Nations Security Council, describing such measures as unacceptable and illegal.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova made the remarks during her weekly press briefing in response to a question from a Mehr News Agency correspondent.
Zakharova said Moscow’s position on Iran had not changed, reiterating Russia’s view that the United States and Israel had launched what she described as direct and unprovoked aggression against Iran and the Iranian people.
Addressing the situation in the Strait of Hormuz, she said Russia had repeatedly and clearly stated its position on the issue.
“We are facing a direct and unprovoked aggression by America and Israel against Iran and the Iranian people,” Zakharova said, adding that Moscow’s position was not based on temporary or emotional considerations but on what it considers a broader assessment of the facts and circumstances.
She noted that Russian President Vladimir Putin and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov had also publicly addressed the issue, stressing that Russia’s position remained unchanged.
Zakharova linked the situation in the Strait of Hormuz to what she described as a wider challenge to the international legal framework governing the world’s seas and oceans.
“The global ocean, instead of being governed by legal frameworks and international regulations, is becoming an arena of disaster, piracy and absolute lawlessness,” she said.
Commenting specifically on any blockade of Iran, Zakharova said such an action was unacceptable from both legal and humanitarian perspectives.
“From a legal perspective, this action is fundamentally unacceptable. From a humanitarian perspective, it is also unacceptable,” she said.
The Russian spokeswoman argued that restrictions on a country’s activities could legally be imposed through sanctions authorized by the UN Security Council.
She questioned whether the Security Council had authorized any such measures in the Strait of Hormuz, answering that it had not.
Zakharova further argued that the Security Council could not have authorized such an action because, in Russia’s view, it would constitute a serious violation of international law.
Her remarks come amid heightened international tensions surrounding Iran and the strategic Strait of Hormuz, a vital maritime route for global energy and commercial trade.
