"Proposed Iran-Oman deal may grant Tehran control over Hormuz shipping traffic"
Transit Passage Doctrine
UNCLOS Articles 37–44 right of continuous, expeditious, non-suspendable passage through international straits.
Strait of Hormuz
~33 km wide chokepoint; sole maritime exit for Gulf oil/LNG producers; ~one-fifth of global energy trade.
The Strait of Hormuz is the world's most critical maritime energy chokepoint — a narrow waterway approximately 33 kilometres wide at its narrowest point, separating Iran to the north from Oman and the UAE to the south. It connects the Persian Gulf to the Gulf of Oman and the broader Indian Ocean, and serves as the sole maritime exit for oil and gas exports from Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Kuwait, the UAE, Qatar, and Iran itself. Roughly one-fifth of global oil and LNG flows — with up to 140 vessel crossings per day at peak — transit through its two navigable shipping lanes of approximately 3 kilometres each (inbound and outbound), separated by a 3-kilometre median zone. No viable alternative export route exists for most Gulf producers at comparable cost or speed.
The legal framework governing the strait is rooted in UNCLOS (United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea), specifically Articles 37–44, which enshrine the doctrine of transit passage. This doctrine guarantees all ships and aircraft the right of continuous and expeditious passage through straits used for international navigation. Critically, this right is explicitly non-suspendable — no coastal state may legally close the strait or impose mandatory tolls on commercial vessels. Iran, while a party to UNCLOS, has historically contested the scope of these rights, asserting that national security interests justify greater managerial authority over Hormuz traffic. This interpretive tension between Iranian sovereign claims and the UNCLOS transit passage regime is the enduring structural fault line underlying every Hormuz crisis.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy — designated a Foreign Terrorist Organisation by the United States in 2019 — has been the primary instrument of Iranian coercive maritime strategy, conducting vessel seizures, mine-laying threats, and harassment operations in the Gulf. Iran most notably threatened closure during the 2011–2012 sanctions crisis over its nuclear programme, establishing a pattern of using Hormuz as a strategic bargaining lever.
The proposed Iran-Oman deal, as reported, would fundamentally restructure the legal and operational status of the Strait of Hormuz. Under the arrangement, commercial ships would pass through Iranian territorial waters on both inbound and outbound legs of their journey — a formulation that would, in practice, give Tehran a supervisory role over all traffic entering the Gulf. Iran is reportedly seeking transit fees of 5–7% of cargo value, while Oman is negotiating for a lower rate of around 3%, and the United States insists on zero fees. The proposal to make fees nominally 'voluntary' is being floated as a face-saving compromise, though analysts note that the implied threat of Iranian interdiction would make non-payment practically untenable for commercial shippers.
This arrangement would represent a direct challenge to the UNCLOS transit passage doctrine, which prohibits coastal states from imposing fees or conditions on international shipping through straits. …
Ships from which of the following countries have to cross the Strait of Hormuz to reach out to the Indian Ocean?
1.Bahrain
2.Syria
3.Qatar
4.Egypt
Select the answer using the code given below:
Consider the following statements:
Statement-I:
Sumed pipeline is a strategic route for Persian Gulf oil and natural gas shipments to Europe.
Statement-II:
Sumed pipeline connects the Red Sea with the Mediterranean Sea.
Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?
Consider the following statements regarding the Strait of Hormuz:
1.It separates Iran to the north from Oman and the UAE to the south.
2.UNCLOS Articles 37–44 establish the doctrine of transit passage, which is explicitly non-suspendable.
3.The strait has four navigable shipping lanes — two inbound and two outbound.
4.Approximately one-fifth of global oil and LNG flows transit through it daily.
Which of the statements given above are correct?
Assertion (A): A coastal state bordering an international strait cannot legally impose mandatory transit fees on commercial vessels under international law.
Reason (R): UNCLOS Articles 37–44 establish the doctrine of transit passage, which guarantees all ships the right of continuous and expeditious passage and is explicitly non-suspendable.
Which one of the following is correct?
Which of the following countries' oil and gas exports are primarily dependent on the Strait of Hormuz as their maritime exit route?
1.Saudi Arabia
2.Egypt
3.Kuwait
4.Qatar
5.Syria
Select the correct answer using the code given below:
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