Iran should behave like a good neighbour

Threats to close Strait of Hormuz are not helpful and endanger the security of the Arabian Gulf

On Wednesday, the commander of the Al Quds Force in the Revolutionary Guards warned that Iran will block oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz if United States President Donald Trump prevents Tehran from selling its oil in international markets. The comments from Qassem Solaimani come close on the heels of those from Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, who pledged that his regime in Tehran would stand firm against Washington’s threats to cut Iranian oil sales, noting that America had not thought out the full consequences of such a move.

Clearly, these threats emanating from Tehran and from figures of standing and influence are worrying and fall short of what one might normally expect when it comes to international relations, and the nuanced undertones and message are cause for worry. There is a reality too that the Strait of Hormuz is an international waterway and it does not lie in Iranian waters alone. By extension, it is not up to Tehran alone to decide on or indeed threaten its closure. What’s more, it is a waterway used by all vessels entering the Arabian Gulf, carrying the goods of commerce, materials of industry and food supplies for most who live there.

If there is a message here it is that the regime in Tehran has an international responsibility to act as a good neighbour, ensuring and enabling the free passage of vessels to and from the Gulf at all times, and we would certainly hope that we have moved beyond the shared events there of four decades ago.

Tehran needs to remember and focus on rebuilding its relationship with the US. That has become fractured since President Trump decided not to endorse the international nuclear agreement reached between the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council, Germany, the European Union and Iran. By threatening the free movement of vessels in the Strait of Hormuz, Iran is escalating its dispute with Washington by involving all who live in the Arabian Gulf.

Certainly, in making these veiled threats, Iran is fully aware of the consequences. Already, Washington has responded by saying that it will take measures to ensure that the free movement of all vessels through the narrow passage continues despite the threats emanating from Tehran. These comments from Iran are not useful at this time and merely serve to spread unsettling sentiments across the Gulf. The Strait of Hormuz is an international waterway and threatening its closure is both unnecessary and unacceptable.