Iran and Oman's Strait Talks Risk Upending International Maritime Law

Oman and Iran agreed June 23 to negotiate governance of the Strait of Hormuz, the channel through which 20 percent of global oil transits daily. Any framework legitimizing Iranian coastal-state authority over the waterway would clash with UNCLOS, which guarantees unimpeded transit rights. The stakes extend beyond the Persian Gulf—setting precedent for how straits are governed worldwide.