International Maritime Organization (IMO) Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez addressed the issue of shipping route designation in the Strait of Hormuz at a press conference held at the IMO headquarters in London on the evening of November 3. He explicitly stated that under international regulations, only countries bordering an international strait have the authority to propose the establishment of shipping routes. He emphasized: "This is very clear to us, and I have no doubt about it. It is a rule, and we implement it accordingly."
This statement directly addressed the controversy surrounding recent proposals for alternative routes through the Strait of Hormuz. According to reports, Iran had previously proposed a shipping route plan, while the United States had attempted to impose alternative routes near the Omani coast. Dominguez did not directly name the United States in articulating the legal rule, but made clear that the right to propose route designations belongs to coastal states. The official shipping route in the Strait of Hormuz was established decades ago under IMO auspices, but conditions arising from military conflict have made the implementation of existing arrangements difficult.
Regarding the proposal to charge maritime service fees in the Strait of Hormuz, Dominguez referenced the experience of Malaysia, Indonesia, and Singapore in jointly managing the Strait of Malacca. He noted that such mechanisms have been used in the past to combat piracy and armed robbery and to strengthen navigational aid equipment, with the aim of finding solutions that can pave the way for dialogue and cooperation among the parties concerned. He stated: "If this is one of those arrangements, it could be a viable solution."
Dominguez confirmed that consultations between Iran and Oman regarding the details of the arrangement are still underway, and that if a formal proposal is submitted, its outcome could be considered within the IMO framework. Previously, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei stated that Tehran is not seeking to impose transit fees for passage through the Strait of Hormuz, but noted that providing services such as vessel guidance, maritime safety, and protection of the marine environment entails costs, and that a specific mechanism would need to be established to cover them.
This position statement by the IMO Secretary-General carries significant implications for the current situation in the Strait of Hormuz. In a separate statement, Dominguez also confirmed that the IMO still does not recommend vessels navigate through the Strait of Hormuz. He indicated that the organization has not received confirmation that mines have been cleared from the Traffic Separation Scheme waters, and therefore cannot guarantee navigational safety. According to IMO records, approximately 30 attacks on vessels occurred in and around the Strait of Hormuz in October 2026, making it one of the months with the highest number of recorded attacks. Currently, approximately 6,000 seafarers remain stranded on about 350 to 400 vessels in the Gulf region.
For India, this development has multiple implications. As one of the largest crude oil importers in the world, India's energy supply chain depends on the stable operation of the Strait of Hormuz. The confirmation that route designation authority belongs to Iran and Oman means that any new navigational arrangements will require negotiation between these two coastal states, with outcomes potentially affecting the safety and cost of vessel passage through the strait. Indian shipping companies and refiners need to closely monitor the progress of Iran-Oman consultations and any formal proposal submitted to the IMO framework, as these will directly impact India's energy import logistics and shipping cost structures.