MARITIME INSECURITY IN THE STRAIT OF HORMUZ

MARITIME INSECURITY IN THE STRAIT OF HORMUZ

All the elements of war are in place between the United States, the West and Iran in the Strait of Hormuz (two miles wide). This maritime region is the world most important chokepoint representing a daily transit of 1/3 of all seaborne-traded of crude oil and other liquids. This Strait of Hormuz is the world most busy territory for the transportation of oil where more than 18 million barrels of oil transit every day.The Iranian violation of international maritime law in this region is an integral part of the dynamic of development of new world maritime order influence by the geo-politic of oil and the new political will of maritime nations to expand their national sovereignty in the maritime territory. This dynamic is characterized by new challenges to the freedom of navigation as it was established by international maritime law. Iran recent activities in the Strait of Hormuz is an expression of defiance to UNCLOS. This defiance is based on a geo-strategy that define the Strait of Hormuz as a maritime territory that must be totally under the control of Iran. China is developing the same geo-strategy in South China Sea. Dominant power (global or regional) must control the oceans in this period of development of the “blue economy”. This new ambition of maritime nations is a determinant factor of transformation of international relations. As a maritime nation, China is the world number 2 economy with capacity to influence the transformation in the global maritime order. Today, China is the world biggest investor and country of development of maritime industries and the “blue economy”. The Chinese “Belt and Road Initiative” is a demonstration of this reality. But, Iran doesn’t have the same economic and political influence on the world order. Iran is struggling to define its position as a dominant regional power in the Middle East. Challenges created by the American economic sanctions and the ambition to develop the atomic bomb are creating enormous pressure on the Iranian regime. By multiplying incidents on the Strait of Hormuz, the Iranian regime is sending an important message to the international community. The Strait of Hormuz is an important maritime territory. Disruption of the freedom of navigation in this region will have important negative impact on the world economy. In this moment of increase tension in international trade, the Iranian strategy of leveraging chaos is not the best solution. This systematic violation of international maritime law by the Iranian regime will increase the marginalization of the Islamic Republic in the international community and all factors of destabilization of this country.