Iran will react with equal countermeasures if Washington tries to block its oil exports, Reuters reported in July. In response, US has recently said it is full prepared to keep regional commerce flowing through the Arabian Gulf and committed to ensuring the safety of the region.
Namely, the US Central Command, which oversees its forces in the Middle East, said it is fully prepared after a senior Iranian military official said his country’s navy would halt all Middle East exports if Iran is not allowed to ship its oil through the Strait.
Responding to questions from Khaleej Times, Major Josh T. Jacques of the US Central Command, said the US partners with “many nations to provide and promote security and stability in the region. Together, we stand ready to ensure the freedom of navigation and the free flow of commerce wherever international law allows.”
That said, there is no increased Iranian naval activity in the region and when asked if the Iranian navy had recently threatened US naval forces in the Arabian Gulf, Maj. Jacques said the “last unsafe and unprofessional interaction” was over a year ago.
US President Donald Trump had said in May that his objective is to bring Iran’s oil revenue to zero. The Strait of Hormuz is a strategic strip at the mouth of the Arabian Gulf through which 30 per cent of global oil flows.
As explained, Iran cannot block the Strait under international maritime law because Hormuz is considered an “international strait” as it is the lone gateway to the Sea of Oman and then on to the Indian Ocean.
This is clear in the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, which states that all ships have to “right to passage” and countries along the Strait should not obstruct movement. The Iranian parliament has not approved the 1982 UN law however it signed it and, therefore, cannot violate the convention.
