IRNA – Having 238 big commercial vessels and transportation of more than 19 million tons of commodities, Iran is ranked 21st in the global maritime industry, Iranian minister of roads said on Saturday.


'Iran is among the top 25 shipping lines in the world,' said Abbas Akhoundi, Minister of Road and Urban Development, addressing a ceremony held to mark the 70th anniversary of International Maritime Organization (IMO) and the World Maritime Day.

Sixty percent of the global oil and oil substances is shipped by sea, with 99 percent of the commodities being transported safely, Akhoundi said.

Commenting on the US threats against maritime activities, the Iranian minister said, 'Washington's lack of commitment to the Iran nuclear deal and re-imposition of unjust sanctions on Iran is against the international and humanitarian laws.'

Iran's name on the IMO white list is an indication of the country's special place in maritime industry, he said.

More than 10.3 billion tons of commodities were transported by 11,000 non-conventional vessels through the Caspian Sea, Persian Gulf and Gulf of Oman, Akhoundi said.

IMO was founded 70 years ago with the goals of safe, secure and efficient shipping on clean oceans.

The IMO Secretary General Kitack Lim also announced that Iran will be the host of IMO international meetings in 2021 to continue its influential role in maritime industry.

The plan of founding the UN-affiliated organization was ratified at a conference in London in 1948 and officially began its activity ten years later.

Out of 174 member states of IMO, 154 are adjacent to seas and waterways. The membership of 20 landlocked countries in the organization, however, indicates its importance in global maritime trade.