The leaders of 22 nations issued a joint statement on Saturday condemning “in the strongest terms” the recent attacks by Iran on unarmed commercial vessels and the “de facto closure” of the Strait of Hormuz.
The joint statement represented leaders from the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Japan, Canada, the Republic of Korea, New Zealand, Denmark, Latvia, Slovenia, Estonia, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Czechia, Romania, Bahrain, Lithuania and Australia.
“We express our deep concern about the escalating conflict,” the statement said. “We call on Iran to cease immediately its threats, laying of mines, drone and missile attacks and other attempts to block the Strait to commercial shipping, and to comply with UN Security Council Resolution 2817.”
The leaders said freedom of navigation is a fundamental principle of international law and that the effects of Iran’s “will be felt by people in all parts of the world.” They also called for “an immediate comprehensive moratorium on attacks on civilian infrastructure, including oil and gas installations.”
“Maritime security and freedom of navigation benefit all countries,” the statement said. “We call on all states to respect international law and uphold the fundamental principles of international prosperity and security.”
