Iran rejects proposal allowing vessels stuck in the Persian Gulf to pass through Strait of Hormuz

Iran rejected a proposal from the United Nations' International Maritime Organization that would have allowed ships and crews who are stuck in the Persian Gulf to pass safely through the Strait of Hormuz. 

The deal was rejected because it would hold Iran responsible for the conflict that's restricting traffic through the strait. An Iranian official said the proposal was "legally groundless and politically motivated," The Wall Street Journal reported, citing Iranian media. 

Currently, there are approximately 20,000 sailors and 2,000 ships stuck in the Persian Gulf, according to the Journal. 

The official said that any deals addressing the consequences for maritime traffic arising from attacks against Iran by the U.S. and Israel need to take into account that Iran has a right to defend itself. 

The proposal was submitted a month ago, prior to the ceasefire and the U.S. blockade of the strait. The United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Singapore, Japan and Panama put forth the deal. If Iran had accepted it, the country would have had to agree not to engage in further interference with traffic moving through the strait.