War in the Middle East: Iran prepares a law for its army to have authority over the Strait of Hormuz

A 33 km corridor with major implications. Iran believes that its military should have authority over the Strait of Hormuz, according to a proposed law, a senior official said on Monday.

Ebrahim Azizi, President of the Parliament’s National Security Committee tasked with reviewing the text, clarified to state television that the armed forces would control the strait to, among other things, prohibit the passage of “hostile ships”.

The project also stipulates that passage rights should be paid in the local currency, the Iranian rial.

Usually, over 20% of the world’s oil and gas transit through the Strait of Hormuz. But since the start of the Middle East war triggered on February 28 by Israel and the United States, this maritime route has been blocked.

On one side, Washington has been enforcing a blockade on ships leaving or arriving at Iranian ports since April 12. On the other hand, Tehran has nearly completely blocked the strait.

The Strait of Hormuz has thus become a major point of tension in negotiations between Iran and the United States to end the war in the Middle East. A meeting between the two parties was scheduled in Islamabad, Pakistan, for a new round of discussions last Saturday, but was ultimately aborted at the last minute.

While visiting Russia on Monday, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi stated that “the security of passage through the Strait of Hormuz is an important global issue”.