Tehran announced the re-imposition of its Hormuz blockade because of alleged acts of piracy committed &/or attempted by CENTCOM personnel. Given, the average American (civilian or soldier) would never jeopardize his/her health insurance eligibility, Tehran's statement poses 3 legal questions:
-When will it publish its evidence?
-If a civilian vessel were the target, who may the owner &/or crew sue for damages & for how much?
-If evidence is available, is it grounds for self-defense from targets?
Today, outgoing French President E. Macron & embattled British PM K. Starmer sat down with 50 unnamed heads of state, to raise an army to move on the Strait Of Hormuz.
May the offices of either host, explain to the global community, whether the army in question will be like the French & British forces that serve the 500+/day ships that transit the Strait Of Dover (also known as the English Channel & La Manche), the busiest shipping lane in the world & a vital defense/security barrier for the UK?
CENTCOM recently disclosed how a sincere threat is sufficient to school a recalcitrant sailor in American greatness. If not classified, can CENTCOM clarify:
If there be a vessel that doesn't broadcast a signal or broadcasts a rude word (both of which indicate non-compliance), how does retaliation account for a potentially hazardous or unstable cargo (given that an unsympathetic crew is unlikely to furnish the manifest to a military force with no automatic legal &/or UN jurisdiction in the area)?
Most landmark events in Western history during the last millenium, came from international trade. Today, humankind's advancement is hampered by the inter-governmental belief that blocking trade ensures peace. Given, the State is generally viewed as the "overlord" of the Nation & the "owner" of the Country, a legal question on law avoidance vs law evasion:
May a merchant, sailor &/or transporter carry goods that aren't:-
-Harmful technologies
-Poisonous substances
without violating any blockades?
-Washington has reportedly confirmed that the presence of the US Armed Forces around the Arabian Sea is (retaliatory) economic terrorism.
-Islamabad has reportedly resolved to target ethnic Afghan traders in Pakistan until Kabul starts targeting Afghan traders, too.
In view of the global commercial implications, when might mitigatory steps be forthcoming from the IMF, WBG, WTO, etc...or will private sector professionals & merchants have to address the situation, without official acknowledgement?
Slowly but surely, due to the lack of competent negotiators, the differences in perspective & priority are deepening between the public & private sectors, leading to problems at leading global logistics hubs, e.g.:
Hormuz: Be it Iran tolls or US blockades, why is Oman - an equal sharer in the Strait - silent?
Torkham: How did Afghanistan's growing Central Asian trade ties, not change the approach of alleged terrorists on the Pak-Afghan border?
Wall Street: Is the WLFI crash, a boost for the USD?
Reasons that J.D.'s Serena shindig was a bust:
-Hormuz is more the purview of the sailor groups who actually sail there...which means, the venue should be close to them, e.g. Gwadar (if real negotiators were to keep the peace there). Which genuine sailor or trader would come to Islamabad?
-The IR nuclear program is the purview of the IAEA. May the US or PK speak for the IAEA?
-Who among the American participants could authorize the asset transfer for which the Iranians agreed to visit Islamabad?
The Washington-Tehran talks format reportedly is:
-Islamabad & all Rawalpindi roads to the Capital are sealed.
-US & IR teams will sit in separate suites at the Serena.
-To avoid "bad words", Washington ordered Islamabad to be the "office runner", i.e. a messenger who runs between rooms in a building.
3 questions:
-Who will be Chief Runner: the PK PM, FM or CDF?
-How will discussions, e.g. on IR assets, be recorded?
-Have US Hormuz de-mining announcements de-legitimized Vance, Witkoff & Kushner?
Developments in Washington-Tehran-Islamabad talks:
-Tehran demands repatriation of its frozen assets.
-Islamabad orders visa-free/visa-on-arrival for US visitors who claim links to Vance, Witkoff &/or Kushner.
Said developments raise questions:
Given, the Pakistani Capital has been purged of personnel, such as operatives who guard against international security risks, may the meeting be open to AML/CFT hazards, e.g. can IR assets be repatriated from the US via PK banking facilities (undetected)?
Tehran: "Iran & Lebanon are a package deal"
-Given direct IL-LB talks are already on the cards, may Tehran's interest in inserting the US-IR fight into relations between Tel Aviv / Jerusalem & Beirut, be actuated by concern over Hezbollah?
Washington: "US tariffs will be levied on arms exporters who help Iran"
-Given the lack of legally-admissible information on arms markets (particularly of cutting -edge weapons), how may Washington identify malefactors? May this policy impact US defense firms?