Doha [Qatar], April 25 : A prominent global shipping body has criticised the US and Iran over their recent seizures of commercial vessels in the Gulf region, particularly at the Strait of Hormuz, over each other's virtual control on the global energy transit, saying such actions violate international law and calling for the immediate release of detained seafarers.
In an interview with Al Jazeera, John Stawpert, marine director of the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS), said seafarers must be allowed to carry out their duties "freely and without persecution".
Stawpert, whose organisation represents around 80 per cent of the global merchant fleet, said the detention of vessels for political purposes undermines the principle of freedom of navigation.
"All these people are doing is transporting trade. And really, we can't have a situation where ships are being seized, ultimately for political ends, to prove a political point," he said, as quoted by Al Jazeera.
"These are innocent farers and they should be allowed to go about their jobs without fear of, essentially, imprisonment," Stawpert added.
He also said Iran's reported intention to impose tolls in the Strait of Hormuz would have no basis in international law and could set a dangerous precedent.
"If you can do it in the Strait of Hormuz, why can't you do it in the Strait of Gibraltar, say, or the Straits of Malacca?" he said.
Stawpert further said US naval actions, including restrictions on Iranian shipping, had added to uncertainty in already volatile maritime conditions.
"We don't know what conditions are in place. We don't know what the targeting criteria of Iran are really," he said, as quoted by Al Jazeera.
"And so we then have another state coming in, effectively doing the same thing through the blockade of the straits," the marine director added.
The comments come as both Washington and Tehran have announced the detention of commercial vessels in recent days amid escalating tensions in regional waters.
The US Department of War recently said it intercepted the Iran-linked vessel Majestic X in the Indian Ocean over alleged sanctioned oil transport, following earlier reports of another seizure involving the Tifani.
Separately, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said it had seized the Panama-flagged MSC Francesca and the Greek-owned Epaminondas, citing alleged violations related to navigation permits and system interference.
"It seems they're not being maltreated," Stawpert said. "But even so, that's not really the point. The point is they shouldn't be in custody in the first place," as quoted by Al Jazeera.
He also raised concerns for thousands of seafarers affected by restricted movement in the Gulf region, estimating that around 20,000 crew members remain stranded due to disrupted maritime traffic.
"Their welfare is also a priority for us," he said.
"The psychological burden, I think, will be beginning to tell on them after seven weeks now of what's, to all intents and purposes, house arrest," Stawpert added, as quoted by Al Jazeera.
Stawpert urged both sides to restore normal maritime operations.
"Let's resume freedom of navigation and respect the right to innocent passage as soon as we possibly can," he said.
The situation in the region has also disrupted global energy flows, with the Strait of Hormuz--through which roughly one-fifth of global oil and gas shipments pass--reporting significantly reduced traffic.
Estimates suggest only a handful of vessels have transited recently, compared to over 100 daily movements before the escalation of hostilities between Iran and the US-Israel coalition forces that began on February 28.