IRAN - Iran has said it is significantly expanding the area around the Strait of Hormuz over which it claims military control in an effort to assert its sovereignty of the key trade route.
A map published by Iran's newly-created "Persian Gulf Strait Authority" claims "Iranian armed forces oversight" across more than 22,000 sq km (8,800 sq miles). It extends into the territorial waters of Oman and the UAE. The UAE described Iran's claims of control as "nothing but fragments of dreams". Iran's new authority added that all transit through the strait "requires coordination with and authorization from the Persian Gulf Strait Authority". The US and Gulf allies have repeatedly rejected Iranian attempts to assert control over the strait. The US has told ships not to comply with Iran's rules. The diplomatic adviser to the UAE president, Anwar Gargash, said Iran is "trying to consecrate a new reality born from a clear military defeat, but attempts to control the Strait of Hormuz or encroach on the UAE's maritime sovereignty are nothing but fragments of dreams". Under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea ships are guaranteed safe passage through another country's waters - but Iran has not ratified this convention. (BBC)
