TEHRAN- Iran’s Ports and Maritime Organization (PMO), in a statement published on Saturday, condemned the actions of the U.S. and UK governments for hindering Iran to host the International Maritime Organization (IMO) Parallel Event of World Maritime Day.

Reuters announced on Thursday that the United States has blocked Iran from hosting the annual meeting of the International Maritime Organization in October this year.

Reacting to this action, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani said on Friday that the U.S. once again demonstrated its “coercive and arrogant nature” by hindering Iran to host the International Maritime Organization conference.

Strongly condemning the U.S. move, Kanaani said the American move, with a support by Britian, showed that there are no limits to the political exploitation of technical and specialized institutions of the United Nations by Washington, even if it lessens the international credibility of these organizations.

Also, the following is the text of the PMO statement reacting to this action:

“Statement of the Ports and Maritime Organization (PMO) of the Islamic Republic of Iran regarding the Prevention of IR Iran from Hosting IMO Parallel Event of World Maritime Day”

The Ports and Maritime Organization (PMO) as the duly authorized maritime administration of the Islamic Republic of Iran reacted against the actions of the Governments of the United States and United Kingdom in preventing the Iranian hosting of the IMO Parallel Event of World Maritime Day in 2023, and declared in an official statement: “Such an action is a clear sign of desperation and pettiness of a few treacherous and oppressive governments, and will not weaken the resolve of the Iranian government and nation, and the port and maritime community thereof, to participate actively in IMO activities and progress toward sea-based economy.”

According to the official news website of the PMO, the above statements continued: “The hosting of the mentioned event in October 2023 was cancelled under the vain efforts of the American and British Governments, and the support of a few western governments foolishly following the U.S. Government, under groundless accusations that Iran intended to jeopardize maritime safety and security. That is while Iran as a undisputed regional power continuously strives to promote maritime safety and security, and protect the marine environment, as confirmed and commended by the IMO in 2011. The mentioned governments, however, have always resorted to threats, intimidation and even destructive operations, whether in territorial and regional waters or high seas, in order to violate the rights of this country to its vessels and cargos, against international laws, and disrupt such peaceful maritime commerce, while threatening safety and security of the seafarers.

It is our firm belief that such illegal, immoral and non-technical actions led by two oppressive governments, against an event of festivity and commendation of seafarers and maritime community, arises from their outrageous failures and fiascos in exerting economic pressure and sanctions against Iran, focusing on the petroleum and maritime industries, which further proves their evil intentions and desperation in the face of the honorable Iranian nation on one side, and their manipulation and abuse of international specialized and technical organizations for their political agendas on the other.

We are certain that such actions as a clear sign of desperation and pettiness of a few treacherous and oppressive governments, will not weaken the resolve of the Iranian government and nation, and the port and maritime community thereof, to participate actively in IMO activities and progress toward sea-based economy.”