Iran refuses to recognize the 1968 Hormuz Strait Navigation Agreement, demanding a renegotiation of navigation rules.

According to The New York Times, Iranian negotiator and Deputy Foreign Minister Ali Garibabadi this week reaffirmed Iran’s permanent control over shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, rejecting the internationally recognized shipping lane arrangement established in 1968—a stance that has sparked new tensions in the fragile ceasefire between the U.S. and Iran. The 1968 lane agreement, negotiated by then-officials from Iran and Oman and approved by the UN International Maritime Organization (IMO), was primarily designed to address collision risks for supertankers navigating the 24-mile-wide waterway. It also carries legal significance given the overlapping territorial waters of Iran and Oman and the absence of neutral international waters in the central part of the strait. Garibabadi noted that the agreement predates the 1979 Islamic Revolution, stating, “We have now informed Oman that these shipping lanes must be changed,” and added that the two sides have decided to launch expert and technical-level negotiations on adjusting the lanes. Ali Vaez, director of the Iran Project at the International Crisis Group, analyzed that Iran, as a regional military power at that time, did not need to use its geographic location as leverage, but now officials believe traditional shipping lanes allowing warships to pass through the strait pose a threat to Iran’s security. Jennifer Parker, an expert at the University of Western Australia’s Defence and Security Institute, said Iran is framing its position with more legal arguments to maximize its leverage at the negotiating table. Notably, Iran has previously laid mines in the strait, effectively blocking the 1968-established lanes; the U.S. and Oman have recently attempted to establish an alternative route in Omani waters south of the strait with U.S. military escort, but Garibabadi reiterated on Monday that Iran will refuse to recognize any such parallel lanes.