Iran insists it has the right to take necessary action in the Strait of Hormuz

JAKARTA - Iran on Tuesday reiterated its right to take "necessary and proportionate measures" in the Strait of Hormuz, blaming the United States for disrupting navigation through the vital waterway.

Iran's mission to the United Nations said Tehran was "not a party" to the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and was therefore not bound by its provisions.

"As a major coastal country whose territorial sea includes the Strait of Hormuz, Iran has a legitimate and legal right to take necessary and proportionate measures to address emerging security threats, ensure safe navigation, and prevent the misuse of the Strait of Hormuz for hostile or military purposes," the mission said in a statement on X, reported The National (29/4).

Iran said any disruption to maritime transport in the Gulf and strait "is the responsibility of the US, whose unlawful actions endanger international navigation."

Navigation through the strait is governed by the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, which grants all ships and aircraft an unlimited right to "transit passage".

According to the convention, "transit passage" through international straits cannot be blocked or denied by bordering countries, such as Iran.

The statement comes after growing international criticism of Iran's effective closure of the strait following US and Israeli attacks in late February, which triggered a wider regional conflict.

The waterway, through which passes about a fifth of global oil and gas shipments, has been a key focus in negotiations to end the conflict and curb Iran's nuclear program.

The closure of the strait caused a shock to the entire global economy.

Meanwhile, Israel's ambassador to the United Nations, Danny Danon, on Tuesday accused Iran of "piracy" in the strait by threatening commercial shipping and demanding payment from ships passing through it.

Speaking at a UN Security Council meeting on the Palestinian issue, Danon said Iran was trying to exploit the global economy through its actions in the strait.

"What we are witnessing in the Strait of Hormuz is a direct attack on international law," he said.

"Commercial ships are threatened. Navigation is obstructed. Safe lanes are no longer guaranteed," he continued.

"Let's be clear, this is not regulation, as they say. This is not security. This is piracy," Danon said.