Ship Attacks: Finland, along with 19 of its allies, has issued a joint statement against Iran, strongly criticizing the recent attacks on merchant ships. This statement said that Iran should immediately change its activities and follow international laws.
This statement has been signed by Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Japan, Canada, South Korea, New Zealand, Denmark, Latvia, Slovenia, Estonia, Norway, Sweden, Czech Republic, Romania, Bahrain and Lithuania.
Protest against Iran’s action
Giving information on social media platform X, Finland’s President Alexander Stubb said that this statement has been issued regarding the situation in the Persian Gulf and especially the Strait of Hormuz. In this, Iran’s efforts to target merchant ships and obstruct maritime traffic have been opposed. Besides, an appeal has been made to all countries to respect international rules and security principles.
The countries included in the statement also said that they are ready to cooperate in taking necessary steps to maintain safe navigation in the Strait of Hormuz.
Concern expressed over efforts to close Hormuz
The joint statement condemned Iran’s attacks on unarmed merchant ships in the Gulf region, targeting civilian infrastructure such as oil and gas facilities and attempts to close the Strait of Hormuz. Apart from this, concern has also been expressed over increasing tension.
These countries have appealed to Iran to immediately stop the attacks, stop activities like laying mines in the sea, drone and missile attacks and stopping merchant ships and follow UN Security Council Resolution 2817. The statement also said that freedom of sea lanes is an important principle of international law, and obstruction to it will have an impact on the entire world, especially the economically weaker sections. All countries also reiterated that they are ready to cooperate in efforts to restore normalcy in the Strait of Hormuz.
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