(…)
Archiv: United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) / signed 1982 / effective 1994
âMore Performative Killing at Seaâ: Another Trump Boat Strike Leaves 4 Dead
Citing a federal memo that it aims to keep concealed from the public, the Trump administration claims to be at war with drug cartels and that the killings in the Caribbean Sea and Pacific Ocean are justified. Legal experts and human rights advocates argue the bombings are at least war crimes, if not outright murder.
Sundayâs strike was the administrationâs first confirmed boat bombing since Ben Saul, the United Nations special rapporteur on human rights and counterterrorism, said last month that even if the targeted vessels were engaged in drug trafficking, there are no âinternational legal rights to unilaterally use military forceâ to counter cartels.
New reports show deadly side of U.S. policies against Cuba
(September 30, 2026)
Recent comprehensive reports provide information about the origins, substance, methods, objectives, and impact of U.S. measures against Cuba, the economic blockade, in particular.
Two of them appear with support from the Center for Economic and Policy Research (CEPR), and Cubaâs Foreign Ministry produced two more. Finally, the United Nationsâ Human Rights Council on Sept. 8 heard Special Rapporteur Alena Douhanâs report on âUnilateral Coercive Measures.â
US Coast Guard says it seized ships with thousands of gallons of oil destined for Cuba
(October 2, 2026)
„The high seas are not a sanctuary for lawlessness,“ said Adm. Kevin Lunday, commandant of the Coast Guard. „Dark fleet actors who employ deceptive tactics to engage in illicit activities will not evade justice. The Coast Guard is bringing every capability to bear to interdict these vessels and uphold international law.“
Mr. President, Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,
We live at a dangerous moment.
But our future is not predetermined.
War is a choice.
Peace is also a choice.
And sometimes â
the greater courage, lies, not in starting a war â
but in preventing one.
Pakistan has made its choice.
We have chosen dialogue over confrontation.
We have chosen cooperation over coercion.
We have chosen peace over war.
Let this eighty-first General Assembly make it unanimous choice.
For ourselves.
For our children.
And for generations yet unborn.
Let us restore trust. Let us preserve peace.
And let us prove that even in a divided world â
humanity can still choose to stand together.
I thank you.
Pakistan: His Excellency Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif Prime Minister
Transcript & summary
Hormuz, Bab al-Mandeb âmust remain openâ: Pakistanâs PM
Continuing his remarks to the UNGA, Pakistanâs Shehbaz Sharif called the Strait of Hormuz and the Bab al-Mandeb strait âarteries of the global economyâ that should remain free and safe.
âThey must remain open, connecting nations, not becoming chokepoints of confrontation,â said Sharif. âThese waters must carry the promise of prosperity, not the perils of war.â
Cuba hit with another nationwide blackout amid US fuel blockade
Cuba suffered a total blackout after the collapse of its electrical grid on Friday. The blackout is the latest of at least six partial or total grid collapses since the beginning of this year, as the island grapples with an ongoing US fuel blockade.
4 killed in U.S. strike on alleged drug-smuggling boat in Caribbean, Pentagon says
The U.S. military attacked a boat suspected of being used to smuggle drugs in the Caribbean Sea on Saturday, killing four people, as the Trump administration continues its monthslong campaign against alleged traffickers in Latin America.
The latest attack brings the number of people who have been killed in boat strikes by the U.S. military to at least 231 in 69 strikes since the Trump administration began targeting those it calls „narcoterrorists“ about one year ago.
Statement of the African Union Commission on the Escalation in the Red Sea Region
The Commission condemns the attacks carried out by the Houthis against civilian targets and economic infrastructure in Saudi Arabia, as well as attacks and threats against commercial shipping in the Red Sea.
The Commission expresses particular concern over reports of attempted attacks targeting Makkah and other holy cities of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. It stresses that holy sites, as well as civilians and pilgrims visiting them, must be fully protected and must under no circumstances become targets of military action.
The Commission further strongly reaffirms the principle of freedom of navigation in the Red Sea and through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, in accordance with international law. Any action aimed at obstructing or threatening navigation along this strategic maritime route poses a serious risk not only to the littoral States, but also to international trade, global supply chains, energy security and African economies.
African Union condemns attacks on holy sites and Red Sea shipping
The organisation also emphasised that the security of the Red Sea and the Bab al-Mandeb strait was âa major strategic interest for Africa, particularly for the States of the Horn of Africa and the Red Sea littoral Statesâ.
The commission joined a number of other states, global organisations, and individuals that also came forward to condemn ongoing attacks.
Italy to deploy warships to protect shipping through Bab al-Mandeb
Italy will deploy warships to ensure safe passage for its commercial vessels through the Bab al-Mandeb strait, Defence Minister Guido Crosetto said, adding that Rome would not wait for a joint decision from the European Union.
âWe have the capabilities to protect the passage,â Crosetto said, warning that if the waterway became impassable, the economic consequences would be severe.
Tajani holds talks with Yemeni Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates Al-Zouba: focus on de-escalation and freedom of navigation in the Red Sea
(September 16, 2026)
Minister of Foreign Affairs Antonio Tajani had a telephone conversation today with the Yemeni Minister of Foreign Affairs Al-Zouba. During the conversation, Tajani expressed Italyâs concern at the ongoing escalation in the country, reiterating its firm condemnation of the recent attacks by Houthi militias against the civilian population, the Yemeni regular forces and Saudi Arabia.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs then expressed Italyâs full support for the internationally recognised government of Yemen, as well as Italyâs commitment to facilitating the resumption of the peace process and to providing humanitarian assistance to the local population, which has been ravaged by years of conflict.
UKMTO reports fire on vessel struck in Strait of Hormuz, crew evacuating
A fire has broken out on board the vessel that was earlier reported to have been hit while transiting the Strait of Hormuz, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) has said.
Local authorities are on the scene and evacuating crew members, UKMTO said in an update.
An Iranian commercial ship is struck near Strait of Hormuz with 1 dead, Iranian media say
An Iranian cargo vessel was struck early Sunday off Qeshm Island in the Strait of Hormuz, with one person killed and four wounded, Iranian state media said, a day before Tehran seeks to brief regional countries on its contested efforts to manage shipping traffic there.
THE FREEDOM FLOTILLA SAILS AGAIN
(September 2, 2026)
The violence and torture that Israel inflicted on hundreds of flotilla volunteers this past spring, including severe beatings, repeated tasering, and sexual assault, has not deterred the FFC, just as Israelâs murder of 10 flotilla activists aboard the Mavi Marmara, in 2010 did not stop the movement. If anything, action is needed now more than ever. While much of the world has moved on from Gaza, believing a supposed âceasefireâ has ended the genocide, Israel continues to kill Palestinians in Gaza at will; use its blockade to restrict and manipulate the entry of the food, medicine, and fuel that a besieged population depends on to survive; and deny Palestinians their fundamental right to freedom.
The new mission involves a port-to-port voyage throughout Europe, bringing together human rights advocates, union activists, elected representatives, journalists, medical professionals, and other supporters of Palestinian freedom.
âGovernments continue to failâ: Freedom Flotilla sails again, vowing to challenge Israelâs Gaza blockade
The Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC) has announced a new international effort to break Israel‘s blockade of Gaza, with ships sailing between European ports before a planned attempt to reach the besieged Palestinian territory in October.
The FFC said its latest mission would go ahead despite the violence and torture meted out to flotilla volunteers on previous attempts, including severe beatings, repeated tasering and sexual assault.
Three Iranian tankers struck in retaliation for missile attacks, US military says
The United States military said Saturday its forces struck three Iranian crude oil carriers after the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) launched ballistic missiles toward two US Navy warships.
The fresh exchanges threaten to heighten a shipping war in and beyond the Persian Gulf, as Iran seeks to prevent shipping transiting the Strait of Hormuz without its consent and the US steps up targeting of Iranian shipping.
Cuba warns UN on the human rights effects of the U.S. blockade
Cuba denounced on Friday the impact of the US blockade on human rights, just days before the presentation of the report by Special Rapporteur Alena Douhan to the United Nations.
According to Alejandro GonzĂĄlez, Director of International Organizations at the Cuban Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the report on the negative repercussions of unilateral coercive measures on the enjoyment of human rights in the Caribbean nation will be presented in Geneva on September 8 and 9.
Cuba reports that international shipping companies yield to U.S. pressure
âThere are foreign companies that have yielded to this pressure and have withdrawn from the country. Others remain and continue working with us,â the Deputy Prime Minister stated.
According to PĂ©rez-Oliva, the intensification of the blockade has severed Cubaâs banking and financial relations with numerous institutions and imposes a trade embargo through direct threats against international shipping companies.
The Minister of Foreign Trade and Foreign Investment explained that Cuba has containers being held in international ports because some shipping companies have suspended services to the island, while others are operating under ârestrictions imposed illegally and unilaterally by the United States.â
Kuba wirft den USA einen âKrieg ohne Bombenâ vor
Das von der Trump-Regierung verschĂ€rfte Ăl-Embargo bezeichnet Lianys Torres Rivera, Kubas ranghöchste Diplomatin in den Vereinigten Staaten als âKrieg ohne Bombenâ. Indes hat die CIA ihre Operation im Land ausgeweitet â Ă€hnlich wie vor dem Venezuela-Angriff.
Vance says US not talking to Iran unless they stop shooting at ships
US Vice President JD Vance told reporters on Thursday that the United States does not plan to hold talks with Iran unless Tehran stops attacking commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.
„They‘ve got to stop. It‘s that simple,“ he said.
US redirects 87 vessels under Iran blockade
US Central Command (CENTCOM) announced on Thursday that its forces had redirected 87 commercial vessels, disabled three and boarded two under Washington‘s blockade against Iran in regional waters as of Sept. 3.
U.S. strikes Iran tankers under new „tanker for tanker“ policy
(September 1, 2026)
The U.S. military attacked two Iranian government tankers as part of the round of strikes that took place on Tuesday, U.S. officials said.
Why it matters: This is the first time the U.S. military has struck Iranian tankers in retaliation for Iranian attacks on ships in the Strait of Hormuz â rather than to prevent them from violating the naval blockade.
Opening of Hormuz now seems to be main goal, according to US VP Vance
It appears that keeping the Strait of Hormuz open is the main goal of the United States.
What we also know is that the wider strategy â based on the military activity that has occurred in the last week â involves preventing Iran from blocking shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.
Saudi Arabia condemns Iranâs targeting of Saudi tanker in Strait of Hormuz
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the Kingdom strongly condemned the targeting of the vessel by Iran and expressed its rejection of Iranian attacks against Jordan, Bahrain and Kuwait.
âThe Kingdom also condemns the Iranian attacks targeting Jordan, Bahrain and Kuwait, and affirms its full support and solidarity with the brotherly countries in the measures they take to protect their security and sovereignty from any threat,â the ministry said in a statement.