UN to evacuate sailors from Strait of Hormuz as U.S. and Iran clash over maritime passage

The United Nations said it will evacuate sailors stranded in the Strait of Hormuz as diplomatic tensions mount over shipping fees and passage rights in one of the world's most critical petroleum routes.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio declared that no nation has the authority to charge vessels for transit through the strait. Rubio did not specify which country he referenced, though his statement followed reports that Iran had moved to collect fees from ships passing through the waterway.

The Strait of Hormuz sits between Iran and Oman at the mouth of the Persian Gulf. Roughly 21 percent of global petroleum traded by sea passes through the passage, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.

The UN coordination for the sailor evacuation marks the second significant diplomatic development in the region this week. The organization did not immediately provide details about how many sailors required evacuation or which nations' vessels were involved.

Iran has long asserted authority over portions of the strait. The country argues it holds jurisdiction over specific maritime zones in the waterway under international maritime law, a position the U.S. disputes.

Rubio's statement aligns with decades of U.S. policy opposing unilateral toll systems in international waterways. The State Department has maintained that the strait qualifies as an international shipping lane subject to established rules governing freedom of navigation.

Iran's government contends it possesses sovereign rights to regulate maritime activities within its claimed territorial boundaries. Officials in Tehran have characterized the fee collection as lawful enforcement of national maritime regulations.

The U.S. Navy has conducted multiple transits through the strait in recent years, actions the Pentagon describes as exercises of international navigation rights. Iran has responded to these operations with its own military maneuvers, leading to several confrontations between American and Iranian vessels.

No deaths or injuries were reported among the stranded sailors, according to available information. The UN said it coordinated with relevant parties to arrange the evacuation but did not identify which governments or entities it contacted.

The incident underscores competing claims between Iran and Western nations over maritime sovereignty and passage rights in a region where oil shipments crucial to global markets depend on unobstructed transit.