Researcher: Hormuz Agreement Must Accommodate All Coastal States

A researcher at the Anwar Gargash Diplomatic Academy in the United Arab Emirates has emphasised that any agreement related to navigation in the Strait of Hormuz must take into account the interests of all coastal states. Speaking to RIA Novosti, Randa Alhammadi, a diplomacy and media researcher at the academy, said that while an agreement made exclusively between Iran and Oman could facilitate de-escalation, it must not grant unilateral authority over the international waterway to any country or ignore the legitimate security interests of other Gulf coastal states. For the UAE to accept and support such an agreement, she said, it must be transparent, have a solid legal foundation, and comply with international maritime law. She added that the UAE expects formal consultation, as its ports, energy exports, trade, and national security are directly affected. Foreign ministers from the six Gulf states have previously discussed efforts to ensure navigation rights in the Strait of Hormuz, which remains closed to date.