Iran Refuses to Recognize 1968 Hormuz Strait Navigation Agreement, Calls for Renegotiation of Passage Rules

BlockBeats News, June 30th - According to The New York Times, Iranian chief negotiator and Deputy Foreign Minister Ali Bagheri reaffirmed Iran's permanent control over the Strait of Hormuz this week and refused to recognize the internationally recognized maritime arrangements established in 1968. This position has brought a new wave of tension to the fragile ceasefire agreement between the United States and Iran.

The maritime agreement was negotiated between Iran and Oman's officials and approved by the United Nations International Maritime Organization. It was primarily designed to address the collision risk of super oil tankers navigating through a narrow 24-mile-wide waterway. Additionally, due to overlapping Iranian and Omani territorial waters and the absence of a neutral international waterway in the central part of the strait, the agreement also holds legal significance.

Bagheri stated, "This agreement precedes the 1979 Islamic Revolution. Now we have informed the Omani side that these waterways must change." He further mentioned that both sides have agreed to initiate negotiations at the expert and technical levels to adjust the waterway.

Ali Vaez, Director of the Iran Project at the International Crisis Group, analyzed that Iran, as a regional military power at the time, did not need to use its geographical location as leverage. However, Iranian officials now believe that traditional maritime routes allowing warships through the strait pose a security threat to Iran. Jennifer Parker, an expert at the Defense and Security Studies Institute at the University of Western Australia, stated that Iran is packaging its position with a more legally sound argument to maximize its leverage at the negotiation table.

It is worth noting that Iran had previously laid mines in the strait, effectively blocking the 1968-established waterway. Recently, the United States and Oman have attempted to establish an alternative channel in Omani waters on the south side of the strait, escorted by the US military. However, Bagheri reiterated on Monday that Iran would reject any such parallel waterways.