South Korean Shipping Association Says Hormuz Strait Blockade Prohibited by Law

JAKARTA - The South Korean Arctic Shipping Association stated that the United States would find it difficult to obtain legal justification for the maritime blockade imposed in the Strait of Hormuz.

"In traditional law governing naval blockades, a number of key requirements include prior notification, effectiveness, impartial enforcement, and attention to humanitarian aspects. Thus, the legal basis of a unilateral blockade against Iranian ports is still highly questionable," the Secretary-General of the South Korean Arctic Shipping Association, Subeom Choi, told RIA Novosti.

Choi said maritime blockades are generally considered to be part of a military conflict at sea and are imposed under the United Nations Charter (UN) and in accordance with UN Security Council sanctions.

"From the perspective of international law, this action is open to serious legal disputes," he said.

On April 13, the US Navy began blocking all maritime traffic entering and leaving Iranian ports on both sides of the Strait of Hormuz, a waterway that accounts for about 20 percent of the world's oil supplies, petroleum products, and liquefied natural gas.

Washington says non-Iranian vessels remain free to pass through the strait as long as they do not pay a levy to Tehran.