Persian Gulf & Strait of Hormuz

Published on July 30, 2019

Mehdi Zakerian

Professor&Editor-in-Chief ISJ

Here is the Persian Gulf and Strait of Hormuz

Mehdi Zakerian

Prof. of Human Rights and International Relations

A . From the legal perspective:

Iran has stopped a British ship in violation of maritime rules in the Persian Gulf. Britain has seized Iranian oil tanker at the request of the United States in Gibraltar. The EU has ordered sanctions on purchasing oil originated Syria, not selling oil to it. Iran is not a member of the European Union and is free to export its oil to any country which is not sanctioned by the UN Security Council. According to international law and the law of seas, Iranian ship must be released immediately. There is no reason for freeing the British ship which has violated maritime rules in Persian Gulf.

B. From the political perspective:

By the end of the 19th century, Britain was the dominant maritime power of the world. The country still remains one of the most important maritime powers in international community. Britain seizure of an Iranian ship in Gibraltar which has a strategic ally named the United States is a small victory in the above-mentioned system.

But Iran has never been a maritime power. The seizure of a British ship in the Persian Gulf by Revolutionary Guard naval forces is a great loss for Britain and its strategic ally, America and the newly team called "B". Iran's national sovereignty over its territorial waters is an undeniable fact. Harmless crossing of non-hostile ships from the Strait of Hormuz is seriously monitored by Iran.