Sunday 26 April 2026 - 21:37 Rights Body: US Blockade of Iranian Ports ‘Collective Punishment’ of Millions of CiviliansStory Code : 1276981 In a statement released on Saturday, the council strongly denounced the US criminal actions in imposing a port blockade and carrying out an armed attack on the cargo ship Touska in Omani waters.
It said these acts amount to military onslaught and a systematic, organized violation of the Iranian people’s most fundamental human rights.
The statement further noted that the US has made deceitful attempts to conceal its crimes by invoking legal and human rights claims against Iran, but asserted that its own actions breach “all human, moral, and human rights principles and values.”
According to the Iranian body, the blockade of Iranian ports has restricted citizens’ access to medicine, food, fuel, and other essential goods.
“The attack on the Touska and the taking of its crew hostage is a concrete example of the violation of the right to human security, the right to work, and the right to physical and psychological integrity,” the statement added.
Citing international law on armed conflicts, the council pointed out that the US action constitutes a gross violation of a ceasefire agreement reached between Iran and the US on April 8, and is a clear example of an act of aggression under Article 3 of United Nations General Assembly Resolution 3314.
The statement also said the US naval military assault, carried out without adherence to the principles of distinction, proportionality, and precaution—and arbitrarily targeting civilians and non-military infrastructure—amounts to a war crime under Article 8 of the Statute of the International Criminal Court.
The High Council for Human Rights urgently called on international human rights mechanisms and relevant UN bodies to urge the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights to formally declare that the port blockade and commercial vessel seizure constitute “collective punishment” and a violation of the right to livelihood and development.
It further urged the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention to recognize the US action in taking the Iranian ship’s crew hostage as “arbitrary detention and contrary to international standards” and to call for their immediate release.
The Iranian body also called on the UN Human Rights Council to convene a special session to condemn the blockade and emphasize the need to identify perpetrators and hold them accountable.
Additionally, it asked the international community and member states of the International Maritime Organization to explicitly condemn the action, demand full accountability from the US, and insist on compensation for the material and moral damages inflicted on the sailors and their families.
“Silence in the face of such crimes will not only exacerbate impunity for aggressors but will also undermine the fundamental norms of human rights, humanitarian law, and the law of armed conflict forever,” the statement warned.
It added that full responsibility for any further escalation in the region and continued violations of the Iranian people’s human rights lies directly with the US government.
The United States and Israel waged a war against Iran on February 28, assassinating ranking commanders and officials and attacking military installations and civilian infrastructure, including schools, hospitals and bridges.
Since then, Iran has demonstrated its responsible policy by agreeing to a two-week ceasefire brokered by Pakistan, despite having the upper hand on the battlefield after 100 waves of retaliatory operations under Operation True Promise 4.
Iran has also intensified its restrictions on the passage of ships through the Strait of Hormuz amid the ongoing US-Israeli war against the country in late February.
Iranian authorities have indicated that the world's vital energy lifeline, through which nearly one-fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas passed before the war, remains open to everyone except to ships tied to the US, Israel and their allies.
The restrictions have led to a significant rise in global energy and commodity prices, with experts suggesting that the impact could escalate to historic levels if the confrontation continues.
Movement through the vital waterway also remains at a trickle amid the US naval blockade of Iranian ports and recent ship attacks and seizures in the region.