Hands Off Hormuz

The European Union and the Gulf Co-operation Council jointly reaffirmed that freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz is guaranteed under international law, issuing a stark warning against any attempt to restrict one of the world's most critical maritime corridors.

The declaration followed the High-Level Forum on Regional Security and Co-operation held in Brussels on July 13. EU High Representative Kaja Kallas and Bahrain Foreign Minister Dr Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani, serving as President of the GCC Ministerial Council, jointly presented the statement.

The two sides stressed that all nations hold an unconditional right of passage through the Strait under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. Crucially, they asserted that no country has the legal authority to suspend, obstruct or attach conditions to that right.

The joint declaration signals a hardening of the transatlantic and Gulf alliance on maritime security at a moment of heightened regional tension, setting a firm diplomatic baseline ahead of potential further confrontations.