The Russian Foreign Ministry has formally condemned United States measures to impose a naval blockade on the Strait of Hormuz, declaring them unilateral, illegal, and a wilful misinterpretation of international law. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova delivered the statement during a press briefing on Thursday, 16 April 2026.
“The illegal nature of the US actions does not mean that Washington can now act in a kind of legal vacuum. We would like to remind everyone, including the US authorities, of the inadmissibility of violating international humanitarian law. Although, unfortunately, in conditions when the US military leadership publicly calls the rules of warfare nonsense, it is not necessary to count on any kind of prudence,” Zakharova stated.
The Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most strategically critical maritime chokepoints, serves as the primary transit corridor for a significant share of global oil and liquefied natural gas exports. Any disruption to navigation through the strait carries profound implications for energy markets and regional stability, particularly for nations across the Global South whose economies remain acutely sensitive to hydrocarbon price fluctuations.
Moscow’s rebuke comes amid heightened tensions between Washington and Tehran, with Iran having separately cautioned that a US blockade of the strait risks undermining an existing ceasefire arrangement. Russia’s position reinforces a broader multilateral concern that unilateral military posturing in international waterways constitutes a direct violation of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and established norms governing freedom of navigation.
Zakharova also addressed developments in Moldova during the same briefing, noting that Chișinău’s decision to withdraw from the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) and align fully with European Union policy has produced tangible economic consequences for its population. “Moldova has rejected constructive engagement and has fully embraced the EU’s policy model. The logical result is a dramatic increase in the cost of gasoline and diesel fuel and a physical shortage in several regions of Moldova,” she said.
Russia’s condemnation of the Hormuz blockade measures adds significant diplomatic weight to growing international opposition to Washington’s military conduct in the Persian Gulf region, with Moscow framing the actions as emblematic of a broader pattern of disregard for the rules-based international order that the United States itself has long championed rhetorically.
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