- Iranian media mocked President Donald Trump’s latest remarks on a possible agreement with Tehran, saying he had retreated from previous threats.
- International law states that ships have the right of innocent passage through the Strait of Hormuz, limiting the ability of coastal states to obstruct navigation.
Iranian media outlets on Sunday ridiculed US President Donald Trump’s latest comments on a potential agreement with Tehran, after he claimed the groundwork had been laid for a deal that would include a rapid mechanism to reopen the Strait of Hormuz to all shipping.
State-affiliated outlets described Trump as backing away from his previous warnings, with headlines claiming the US president had retreated from what they called “hollow threats.”
Trump reiterated that Iran must give up its control over the strategic waterway, a key global shipping route that carried about one-fifth of the world’s oil supply before the war.
However, Iranian news agencies gave no indication that Tehran had changed its position. Iran has repeatedly sought to control maritime traffic through the strait, despite international opposition.
The Strait of Hormuz lies between the territorial waters and Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZs) of Iran and Oman.
Under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), coastal states have sovereign rights to explore and manage natural resources within their EEZs. However, the convention also guarantees ships of all nations the right of innocent passage through territorial seas.
UNCLOS states that coastal countries should not obstruct the innocent passage of foreign vessels, except in specific circumstances where a passage is deemed not to be innocent.
