According to Iranian state media, as the latest response to the U.S. proposal to end the war, Iran has demanded sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz. The Strait of Hormuz is located between Iran and Oman, where the exclusive economic zones of the two countries meet. The narrowness of the waterway makes it easier for Iran to launch attacks on vessels, as ships lack sufficient space for maneuvering and do not have enough time to issue warnings to avoid threats.
Under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, a state has "sovereign rights" to explore, exploit, conserve, and manage marine resources within its exclusive economic zone. However, "ships of all states, whether coastal or landlocked, enjoy the right of innocent passage through the territorial sea." The convention states that coastal states should not "hamper the innocent passage of foreign ships through the territorial sea," but this applies only under specific and clearly defined circumstances. Coastal states may take necessary measures within their territorial sea to prevent passage that is not innocent. (Jin Shi)