UN General Assembly
1981

283. Since the Persian Gulf region is an important international waterway, the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran has to control navigation in that waterway firmly and strictly in order to protect normal shipping of nonmilitary cargoes. The Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran, for its part, guarantees safe and free navigation in that sensitive waterway. It will, however, not allow the passage of ships carrying war materials for Iraq, for such shipments would constitute a violation of the principles of neutrality with regard to the belligerent parties. We shall confiscate war materials destined for Iraq and redirect the ships carrying such materials to their ports of origin, in order to discourage Iraq from continuing this insane war.