00:00In a surprising diplomatic pivot, as President Donald Trump has announced that he is considering
00:05a joint venture with Iran to protect ships passing through the strategically vital street of Hormuz,
00:10the proposal, revealed in an interview with ABC News, marks a significant departure from
00:15the administration's previous confrontational stance toward Tehran. Trump stated that such
00:20a partnership is the only viable way to restore the street to a safe passage for international
00:25shipping. He noted that in the recent past, ships transiting the waterway have been attacked and
00:31burned, resulting in the loss of both vessels and crew members. Due to the absence of adequate
00:36safety measures, the area currently faces unacceptably high risks, the president explained.
00:42Legal experts sound the helm, however. The proposal has drawn sharp criticism from maritime law experts,
00:48who argue that freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz is being systematically undermined.
00:53They view Trump's suggestion as a potential violation of the 1980 to United Nations Convention
00:58on the Law of the Sea Unclose, which governs international maritime behavior. Experts contend
01:04that what Trump is proposing could be interpreted as an attempt to seize control of the strait for
01:09private or bilateral use and move that would violate core principles of international maritime law.
01:14Such an arrangement, they warn, would set a dangerous precedent and seriously undermine the
01:19rule of law governing the world's oceans. It is worth noting that the United States has not ratified
01:24UNCLOSE, even though the treaty is widely regarded as customary international law. Nevertheless,
01:30legal scholars emphasize that all nations are expected to adhere to its principles,
01:35regardless of whether they are formal signatories. Iran's unilateral toll-sistenti context for Trump's
01:41proposal is Iran's recent declaration that it has assumed the role of exclusive administrator of the
01:47Strait of Hormuz. Tehran has announced that it will impose a transit fee and security charge of at
01:52least $2 million on every ship passing through the waterway. This unilateral action has drawn
01:57condemnation from numerous countries, many of which argue that Iran has no legal right to levy such fees.
02:04Iran, however, is not a signatory to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights,
02:10though it remains a member of the United Nations Charter. India and France have been among the most vocal
02:15critics warning that the Strait of Hormuz is an international waterway subject to international
02:20law not the exclusive domain of any single nation. India has gone a step further, declaring that it
02:26will not tolerate Iran's actions. New Delhi has announced its intention to exercise its right
02:32to self-defence by deploying warships to protect Indian vessels transiting the strait. Indian officials
02:37have stated that they are prepared to confront the threat posed by Iranian warships if necessary.
02:42Many European countries have also taken measures in response to what they view as an unlawful seizure
02:47of an international passageway. Oman's refusal and Iran's regional diploma siren has attempted to
02:53bring Oman into its control scheme, given Oman's shared responsibility for the strait. Tehran has
02:59reportedly sought Omani cooperation in charging protection of fees, but the Omani government has
03:04repeatedly rejected these overtures, dismissing numerous ideas and persuasions from Iranian officials.
03:10Despite these rejections, the critical development remains Trump's statement to ABC News.
03:16The United States is willing to negotiate with Iran over joint venture to protect shipping,
03:21rather than confronting Iran militarily. This represents a dramatic shift from previous rhetoric.
03:26A history of hostility Strait of Hormuz has been a flashpoint throughout the ongoing US-Israeli war
03:32with Iran, which began on February 28. During the conflict, the Iranian Revolutionary Guard
03:38caused IRGC effectively closed the strait, demanding that all ships obtain permission
03:43before passing and firing upon those that failed to do so. Numerous vessels, including a tie-flag ship,
03:50came under attack. The strategic importance of the strait cannot be overstated. It is a vital shipping
03:56lane, accounting for at least 20% of global maritime trade, supplying goods to markets across the Asia-Pacific
04:03region and Europe. Asian nations, in particular, rely heavily on the waterway. China and India,
04:09the two most populous countries in Asia, depend on the strait for approximately 80% of their oil imports.
04:16During the first week of the war, many Chinese and Indian ships transited the strait under the
04:21protection of US warships. However, by the third and fourth weeks of the conflict, five US warships had
04:27been nearly all shot down or disabled by Iranian fire. Since then, the strait has remained relatively
04:33calm but only because Iran has asserted effective control. Iran's ability to launch missiles and
04:39torpedoes from a distance at any ship passing through the strait without IRGC consent has given
04:44Tehran a powerful deterrent. The Islamic Republic has the technical capability to strike vessels at will,
04:50and it has demonstrated that it is willing to do so. Iran's complaint to the UN Security Council
04:56has formally complained to the UN Security Council, accusing its enemies including the United States
05:02and Israel of attempting to seize control of the strait. However, the Security Council ultimately
05:07decided not to authorise military action against Iran to reclaim the waterway. This decision came
05:13after China and Russia voted against the use of force, arguing instead for a negotiated diplomatic
05:18solution to the crisis. The United States had previously announced that if it decided to open the
05:24strait by force, it would not shed benefits with non-participating nations. President Trump had
05:29stated that if the strait fell into American hands through military action, it would become the
05:35exclusive right of the United States. Trump's surprising pivot against this backdrop, Trump's revelation that
05:41he is now studying the possibility of a joint investment with Iran essentially a business partnership to
05:47manage the strait has shocked many nations. China, as the single largest user of the waterway,
05:52and India, the second largest, are watching with particular concern. Both countries are now
05:57wondering whether Iran will agree to such a compromise. Notably, just before Iran and the
06:02United States reached a recent 14-day ceasefire agreement, Iranian President Abbas Mousavi referenced
06:09as Pesach in some reports made a telling statement on Tuesday. He declared that while the strait of
06:14Hormuz belongs to Iran, Tehran has the right to share control benefits with any country capable of
06:20jointly managing the waterway. However, President Mousavi later walked back his comments,
06:25stating that they were not official, but merely his personal opinion. He acknowledged that the
06:30Iranian Revolutionary Guard cause does not want the strait to be shared with any country with the
06:35possible exception of nations that possess coastal territory along the strait, much like Iran itself.
06:40Iran has continued to lobby Oman for joint control, but Oman has consistently refused, citing violations of
06:48international law. What observers are saying political observers see a clear calculation behind
06:53Trump's announcement? They believe the President recognizes the immense economic benefits of securing
06:58the strait through cooperation rather than confrontation. It is this potential for mutual gain,
07:04they argue, that led Trump to accept the 14-day peace proposal brokered by multiple countries,
07:10and to agree to direct negotiations with Iran. If the 14-day peace plan is fully implemented,
07:15it could potentially end the war. However, observers warn that the situation remains extremely precarious.
07:22Direct negotiations between the United States and Iran could easily break down, leading to a serious
07:28new conflict. Meanwhile, Israel is waiting in the wings, ready to launch fresh attacks on Iran the
07:34moment the ceasefire is violated. The next two weeks will determine whether this unprecedented
07:39diplomatic opening leads to lasting peace or collapses into even greater violence.
07:43The next two weeks will be reached for this target.
07:43Here's the official-point-out license.
07:44We can do that, and keep going up in the meanwhile.
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