Iran asserts sovereign right to inspect ships in Hormuz Strait

Shafaq News / Deputy Speaker of the Iranian Parliament, Mojtaba Zonnouri, affirmed today, Saturday, that Iran has the right to detain and inspect ships in the Strait of Hormuz "whenever it deems necessary," should they be perceived as a threat to the country's national security.

Zonnouri, in an interview with the Iranian website "Didehban", responded to a question regarding demands from some officials to close the Strait of Hormuz, despite the fact that waterways and straits are governed by international laws. He stated, "Iran has the right to stop and inspect ships whenever it wishes; this is its prerogative."

He further emphasized that "international laws govern waterways, and no country can act arbitrarily." He pointed out, for instance, that the passage of a shipment of weapons through the Strait of Hormuz poses a threat to Iran's security and its people, and in such cases, it can be detained and inspected.