US condemns Global Sumud Flotilla as "baseless" effort against Trump peace plan

The United States has issued a statement condemning the Global Sumud Flotilla, describing it as a “pro-Hamas initiative” and a “counterproductive effort” aimed at undermining President Donald Trump’s Middle East peace plan.

In a press statement released on April 30, State Department spokesperson Thomas “Tommy” Pigott said the flotilla is organised by the Popular Conference for Palestinians Abroad, an entity previously sanctioned by the U.S. Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) and designated in January as a specially designated global terrorist organisation for alleged links to Hamas.

The statement also claimed the flotilla’s founder has expressed support for Iran and groups including Hamas and Hezbollah, both of which are designated as terrorist organisations by Washington.

Citing international maritime law, the U.S. stressed that coastal states retain sovereignty over their territorial waters, and urged allied countries to take “decisive action” against the initiative.

It called on partners supporting the Trump administration’s 20-point peace framework to deny port access, docking permissions, departure clearance and refuelling services to vessels linked to the flotilla.

Washington further encouraged allies to issue public warnings to their nationals against participation, warning of possible legal consequences. It also suggested that vessels suspected of facilitating terrorism or posing security risks could be denied berthing under applicable national laws.

The statement characterised the flotilla as unrelated to humanitarian relief efforts, arguing that it operates outside established coordination mechanisms for delivering aid. It added that the U.S. would consider measures against those providing support to the initiative and support legal actions taken by allied governments.

By Aghakazim Guliyev