The European Union and the Gulf Cooperation Council have issued a joint declaration rejecting any claim of sovereignty or control over the Strait of Hormuz by any single state, and condemning Iranian attacks on commercial vessels and the sovereign territory of GCC members. The statement, released on 18 July following a high-level forum in Brussels on 13 July, demands that Iran immediately and unconditionally cease all hostilities and interference in maritime navigation, and keep the strait open without fees, permits, or service charges. It describes the attacks as unjustifiable acts that endangered civilians and seafarers, and violated international law and UN Security Council Resolution 2817.

Viewed from Brussels and Gulf capitals, the declaration represents a coordinated diplomatic effort to isolate Tehran’s position on the waterway. The EU and GCC explicitly reject any bilateral arrangement or memorandum that would regulate or restrict the right of transit passage through an international strait, a direct reference to a US-Iran memorandum of understanding signed on 12 June. The UAE, in a separate foreign ministry statement, expressed “deep concern” over regional developments and called for maximum restraint, an immediate return to negotiations, and the protection of civilian infrastructure—including schools, hospitals, desalination plants, and energy facilities—which it termed a grave violation of international law. US Central Command confirmed it continues to enforce a naval blockade, having diverted five vessels and disabled one.

Iranian state-linked media reported the joint statement as an “anti-Iranian” move, and noted that Iran is not a party to the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea and does not accept the principle of non-suspendable transit passage. The legal dispute over the strait’s status has acquired immediate operational significance: the US blockade and Iranian attacks on Gulf state infrastructure—including power and desalination plants in Kuwait, Bahrain, and elsewhere—have disrupted energy and water supplies, while the threat of further escalation has raised insurance costs and rerouted commercial shipping. The EU-GCC statement insists that any attack on the security of one state is a concern for all parties dependent on the waterway, and that governance must remain within the framework of the International Maritime Organization.

The backdrop is a widening US-Iran military confrontation that has persisted since March 2026, punctuated by a short-lived ceasefire and the 12 June memorandum. The EU-GCC forum in Brussels was co-chaired by EU High Representative Kaja Kallas and Bahraini Foreign Minister Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani in his capacity as GCC ministerial council president. The joint statement pledges continued close coordination to safeguard freedom of navigation and support the protection of international shipping, while reaffirming a commitment to dialogue and diplomacy. No new negotiations have been scheduled, and the US naval blockade remains in effect.