Malta Maritime Forum Chairman Godwin Xerri has warned that the blockade being imposed by the United States on the Strait of Hormuz creates risks for the countries vessels affected are registered in.

In comments made to WhosWho.mt, Mr Xerri says: “The only effective way how the US can impose its decision is by boarding ships, or even worse, firing on ships which do not abide by this decision. In such an eventuality, the flag state of the vessel will be bound to retaliate to protect its vessels, hence leading to an escalation of war.”

As the largest ship registry in the EU, Malta is at particular risk of confrontation.

The US Central Command has since issued guidance that the blockade will not apply to vessels which are neutral to the war between Iran and USA/Israel, “giving relief to the implication of such a measure.”

Nonetheless, Mr Xerri makes it clear that “the risk of confrontation between other states and the USA is still there.”

The US blockade on the Strait of Hormuz follows the collapse of talks with Iran amidst a shaky ceasefire that has put a pause on the war launched by the US and Israel on 28th February.

The blockade is ostensibly meant to bring international pressure on Iran to a head to fully reopen the Strait of Hormuz, on which it has maintained strict control since the onset of hostilities.

Iran has sought to change the lanes used for maritime traffic through the chokepoint, justifying the imposition of tolls on vessels as a form of reparations for the damage it suffered throughout the war.

The Strait of Hormuz is a passage for all the traffic from the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman to the Persian Gulf. The countries which depend on this strait for the passage of seaborne cargo include the UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, Iraq and Iran.

Over 20 per cent of the world’s oil production comes through the Strait – a fact that has seen the 33km wide passage thrown to the top of the global agenda.

Mr Xerri notes that although the Strait of Hormuz is of vital importance to the world’s energy supply, Maltese interests in the region are limited. He points out that in 2024, Maltese trade with the region was mainly dominated by the UAE, which accounted for $123 million, while trade with the other Gulf states remains marginal.

From an international maritime perspective, however, Mr Xerri emphasises that “the implications are very serious and bring up legal issues that can lead to a wider conflict,” adding that the unilateral decision by the US to blockade the Strait “gives it no legal right to impose its decision on ships belonging to other countries.”