Tasnim � The managing director of the Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines (IRISL) said unilateral measures adopted by the US government over the past months have endangered international trade.


�What is important for the IRISL and other international commercial fleets is maritime security,� Mohammad Saeedi said, addressing a ceremony in Tehran on Saturday on the occasion of the World Maritime Day, which will be marked later this month.

The Iranian official further emphasized that the International Maritime Organization (IMO) can ensure such security in international waterways.

He also pointed to hostile and unilateral measures by the US to restrict maritime transport routes, saying that the measures have undermined international trade over the past months.

The IMO should not allow a country to jeopardize maritime security in violation of internationally recognized regulations, Saeedi went on to say.

The IMO is a specialized agency of the United Nations which is responsible for measures to improve the safety and security of international shipping and to prevent pollution from ships.

It is also involved in legal matters, including liability and compensation issues and the facilitation of international maritime traffic. It was established by means of a Convention adopted under the auspices of the United Nations in Geneva on 17 March 1948 and met for the first time in January 1959, according to its official website.

It currently has 174 Member States. IMO's governing body is the Assembly which is made up of all the member states and meets normally once every two years.