Maldives co-sponsors UN resolution calling for freedom of navigation in Hormuz

The Maldives has co-sponsored a draft United National Security Council resolution calling for freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz and for Iran to end its attacks on Gulf countries.

In a statement on Saturday morning, the Maldivian Foreign Ministry said it co-sponsored the draft UNSC resolution “in solidarity with the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries and Jordan, and in support of maritime security, safe navigation, and the protection of international trade and supply chains.”

The Foreign Ministry added that the Maldives’ position on the draft resolution was “without prejudice to its established views on the law of the sea, including United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), customary international law, freedom of navigation, and the rights and jurisdiction of archipelagic states.

The Ministry added that the Maldives reserves its position on any interpretation of the draft resolution that may affect its national interests, maritime jurisdiction, or the rights of archipelagic states under international law.

The Maldives also underscored the urgent need to avoid further escalation in the region, and minimize and mitigate humanitarian impacts, particularly in the context of global supply chain disruptions and effects on vulnerable economies.

“The Maldives urges all parties to respect international law, and calls for meaningful dialogue and diplomatic efforts to de-escalate tensions and preserve stability in the region,” reads the statement.

The resolution in question threatens Iran with sanctions and other measures if it does not halt attacks on ships in the Strait of Hormuz, stop imposing “illegal tolls”, and disclose the location of all mines to allow freedom of navigation.

Iran characterizes the resolution as an attempt by the United States to manufacture international backing for its actions against Tehran.

On early Saturday, Iran's permanent mission to the UN warned that countries backing the resolution could bear responsibility if tensions escalate.

"Should the U.S. trigger any new escalation, all co-sponsoring States will share international responsibility alongside Washington for the consequences," wrote the mission on X. "No political excuse or diplomatic cover can absolve them of responsibility for facilitating, enabling, and legitimizing U.S. aggression."

It is now crystal clear that the U.S. is seeking to exploit the number of the so-called co-sponsors of its politically motivated and one-sided draft resolution to manufacture a false image of “broad international support” for its ongoing unlawful actions and to pave the way for…

— I.R.IRAN Mission to UN, NY (@Iran_UN) May 15, 2026

Regional tensions have remained high since the US and Israel launched strikes against Iran on February 28, prompting retaliatory attacks by Tehran against Israel and US allies in Gulf countries, along with the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.

A ceasefire took effect April 8 through Pakistani mediation, but talks in Islamabad failed to produce a lasting agreement. US President Donald Trump later extended the truce indefinitely while maintaining a blockade on vessels traveling to or from Iranian ports through the strategic waterway.

The Maldives has been struggling in the fallout from the US-Israeli war on Iran, which has raised fuel prices and dealt a heavy blow to tourism – the country’s main economic driver.

Top tourism associations the Maldives Association of Travel Agents and Tour Operators (MATATO) and the National Hotels and Guesthouses Association of Maldives (NHGAM) recently warned that the losses suffered by the Maldives tourism sector since March had surpassed USD 500 million.