The world is closely following the actions of the Iranian regime against commercial vessels in the important Strait of Hormuz sea corridor. Tehran’s involvement in acts of terrorism by the Revolutionary Guard, Hezbollah and other similar terrorist groups and its dangerous interference in the internal affairs of the countries of the region are matters that are non-negotiable to the international community. The Iranian regime has entered into a dangerous legal area with clear historical precedents.
In the 1950s when the Egyptian president nationalized the Suez Canal and expropriated its ownership from the international company that had contracted with the Egyptian government, he jeopardized the safety of international marine corridors. Gamal Abdul Nasser was isolated by the international community and denied access to technology and weapons. Nasser lost all his battles of unity with Syria, his war in Yemen and suffered the devastating setback of 1967. There are those who firmly believe that Nasser was completely politically eliminated in 1956 with the decision to nationalize the channel.
In 1989, US President George HW Bush sent Green Berets to arrest President Manuel Noriega of the Republic of Panama and put him in prison in America on charges of drug trafficking, money laundering and posing a threat to the lives of Americans.
However, the international community knew that the real reason was Noriega’s constant threat to close the vital Panama Canal to international trade, which could never be accepted.
If the legal precedent is contemplated, there are important grounds on which to build a case. The American argument today is economic and financial. More than 85 percent of Gulf oil exported through the Strait of Hormuz goes to China, Japan, India and South Korea, so these countries are required to “participate” financially in the military and security costs of securing the important waterway.
Between legal and financial matters, Iran’s situation is increasingly complicated, and it is gradually digging an ever-deeper hole for itself as the issue has become more and more complex.
The position of China and Russia remains closely watched. Russia considers Syria a region of influence and has traditionally intervened in that country, and America has always regarded the Gulf region as its strategic security zone. Iran is increasingly isolated along with its allies, because they will not be able to defend piracy practiced by a state.