IOMOU approves Iran's proposal on remote inspection of ships in Indian Ocean

Tehran, IRNA – The Indian Ocean Memorandum of Understanding (IOMOU) on Port State Control has approved Iran’s proposal on how to conduct ship inspection through remote location, a senior official at the Ports and Maritime Organization (PMO) of Iran has said.

Allahmorad Afifipour, the organization’s director general for maritime affairs, said that Iran’s proposal was approved at the 27th meeting of the IOMOU that was held in Tanzania in late August

The method, presented by Iranian representatives, will be implemented within 12 months, and any revisions will be reported to the IOMOU committee, he added, according to a press release by the PMO on Saturday.

Afifipour noted that the Iranian proposal would help member states carry out inspections without any delay when physical access to vessels is limited due to reasons such as pandemics, security issues, or unmanned vessels. This way, inspections aimed at ensuring safety of ships will not be disrupted, he added.

It should be mentioned that the approved Iranian proposal will become an official document within IOMOU and will be added to the existing methods for ship inspections in the Indian Ocean region.