A cargo ship is docked during the inauguration ceremony of the newly built extension in the port of Chabahar on the Gulf of Oman, southeastern Iran, near the Pakistani border, Dec. 3, 2017. (AP photo)

TEHRAN, Nov. 9 (Xinhua) -- Iran has lodged complaint at the International Maritime Organization (IMO) against the U.S. sanctions on Iranian ships, Tasnim news agency reported on Friday.

Iran's embassy in Britain has sent a letter to IMO Secretary-General Kitack Lim to pronounce Tehran's protest against U.S. unilateral sanctions against Iranian trade vessels, Iran's Ambassador to London Hamid Baeidinejad was quoted as saying.

The letter has denounced the U.S. sanctions as a violation of international shipping treaties that endangers maritime security, Baeidinejad said, adding that Iran has urged the IMO to hold a council meeting to address the issue.

As a specialized agency of the United Nations, the IMO is tasked with regulating international shipping.

All the U.S. sanctions against Iran that had been removed under the 2015 Iranian nuclear deal were returned by the United States on Monday.

The U.S. embargo targets many of the country's "critical sectors" like energy, shipping, shipbuilding, and finance.