In fact, the Strait of Hormuz has been turned into a kind of "country" that requires a visa-like permit to enter.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs of India called the head of the Foreign Ministry of Iran and asked for permission to use the Strait of Hormuz. And he got it.
One of the largest countries in the world, the first in terms of population, the fifth in terms of economy, a nuclear power with the fourth strongest army on Earth called Tehran and asked for exclusive permission to transit through the international waterway, which, according to the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, has been open to all nations since 1994. And Tehran answered "yes" - on the condition that the Indian tankers will notify the Iranian authorities before entering.
Now Iran literally issues transit "visas" for passage into the strait in the same way that the border service issues visas at the airport.
The international 33-kilometer waterway is now regulated by four levels of access:
First level: China. Passes freely, because it pays.
Second level: India and Bangladesh. They pass on special conditions, because they asked.
Third level: Western Alliance. The passage is closed because Iran has declared any tanker serving the US, Israel or its allies a legitimate target.
Fourth level: All others. They pass at their own peril and risk, risking being accepted for the "third level".
The telephone call between India and Iran is the most significant diplomatic exchange in this war.
He establishes the fact: after February 28, the Strait of Hormuz is neither "closed" nor "open". He is licensed. If you want to pass, ask for a license.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs of India called the head of the Foreign Ministry of Iran and asked for permission to use the Strait of Hormuz. And he got it.
One of the largest countries in the world, the first in terms of population, the fifth in terms of economy, a nuclear power with the fourth strongest army on Earth called Tehran and asked for exclusive permission to transit through the international waterway, which, according to the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, has been open to all nations since 1994. And Tehran answered "yes" - on the condition that the Indian tankers will notify the Iranian authorities before entering.
Now Iran literally issues transit "visas" for passage into the strait in the same way that the border service issues visas at the airport.
The international 33-kilometer waterway is now regulated by four levels of access:
First level: China. Passes freely, because it pays.
Second level: India and Bangladesh. They pass on special conditions, because they asked.
Third level: Western Alliance. The passage is closed because Iran has declared any tanker serving the US, Israel or its allies a legitimate target.
Fourth level: All others. They pass at their own peril and risk, risking being accepted for the "third level".
The telephone call between India and Iran is the most significant diplomatic exchange in this war.
He establishes the fact: after February 28, the Strait of Hormuz is neither "closed" nor "open". He is licensed. If you want to pass, ask for a license.