Because the Strait of Hormuz is strategic
Summer 2021 saw tensions rise between Iran and the United States around the Strait of Hormuz. The in-depth study by Giuseppe Gagliano
Summer 2021 saw tensions rise between Iran and the United States in the Strait of Hormuz region. Several events related to the security dimension involved the international maritime navigation of the merchant fleet in one of the most strategic crossings in the world.
The Strait of Hormuz, a natural link between the Persian Gulf and the Arabian Sea, alone illustrates the contemporary challenges of the maritization of our societies and economies. In fact, let us not forget that the centrality of this narrow state proves in a refutable way our dependence on the maritime areas which, of course, generously distil the natural resources fundamental for food and for the proper functioning of energy-intensive economies, but also support the free circulation of raw materials and manufactured goods within the framework of a world-economy with distances shortened by technological progress.
Mirror of power, oceanic spaces also constitute arenas in which state or non-state powers "smell", touch or even clash. Therefore, the news for summer 2021 in the Strait of Hormuz region strongly demonstrates the role played by ocean spaces. So studying the geopolitics of this region means paying attention to the impact of maritimeization on the life of states; it is also recognizing the power of the maritime fact in the expression of international relations. And, finally, it is to admit that thalassopolitics … is a fundamental prism for appreciating the structuring forces at work in international relations. Why is the Strait of Hormuz so important? Separating Iran from Oman, the Strait of Hormuz is a maritime link between the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman.
About thirty nautical miles (about 55 kilometers) are distant between the Omani mountain point of Ras de Musandam and the multiple Iranian islands to the north. Its depth allows it to be used by the entire contemporary merchant fleet. This strait is one of the busiest shipping areas in the world. For this purpose and in order to ensure a high level of maritime safety, the uninterrupted flow of container ships or tankers is distributed on an up and down track with a width of 2 miles (i.e. 3.5 kilometers). Navigation is complex, forcing ships to navigate Oman's deepest waters and avoid the Iranian islands upstream. All types of tankers can navigate the channel. More than two thirds have a higher capacity estimated at 150,000 deadweight tons A real natural lock, this strait breaks the isolation of a region that has progressively become essential for the smooth functioning of the world economy through the supply of hydrocarbons. It provides the link between the extraction and production areas and the consumption centers. Thus opens the Persian space, on the one hand, to the Asian world through the Arabian Sea, then the Indian Ocean and, on the other, to Europe or even to the American continent through the Mediterranean accessible from the channel.
The Strait of Hormuz is, therefore, a vital artery for the export of hydrocarbons from five of the world's largest producers (Saudi Arabia, Iran, Iraq, United Arab Emirates and Kuwait) to the processing industries. In general, the Persian Gulf region is an example of the exceptional hydrocarbon resources contained in the seabed. It also demonstrates the interest and competitiveness of maritime transport for this type of raw material. The seabed is considered terra incognita where 90% of the riches remain to be discovered. Experts identify 30% of the world's oil reserves and 27% of gas in the sea. The share of maritime production in world consumption rose from 10% in 1960 to over 32% in 2000. According to the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), two thirds of proven oil reserves are located in the Middle East. , in particular, in the Persian Gulf. The Strait of Hormuz is the area where the daily flow of oil is estimated at 21 million barrels, equal to 21% of the world consumption of petroleum products. Annual flows of crude oil, condensate and various petroleum products have been stable since 2016, accounting for one third of the total volume of hydrocarbons transported by sea and over a quarter of liquefied natural gas. Aside from Europe according to the US Energy Agency, China, India, Japan, South Korea and Singapore account for over 65% of the annual flow. For its part, the United States of America imports 1.4 million barrels / day from the Persian Gulf, or 18% of crude oil and condensate imports and 7% of liquid oil consumption. The Strait of Hormuz is an essential natural bottleneck by sea unlike other straits that have loopholes, even if at the cost of lengthening navigation times. Dependent on the international relations of a key player, Iran, the landlocked powers of the Persian Gulf are constantly striving to identify and materialize other alternative routes for the delivery of hydrocarbons by land. o / and maritime Established regularly since 1950, land solutions systematically seek a maritime exit point both to the south, on the Arabian Sea, and to the west, in the Red Sea or even to the north, in the Mediterranean. They require the construction of complex infrastructure such as pipelines over long distances. The routes of these installations very often cross several countries, which in turn expose them to other safety problems.
Thus, the Iraqi Pipeline in Saudi Arabia (IPSA), operational in 1987, offers an outlet for Iraqi oil in the Red Sea by connecting the terminal of Basra, in south-eastern Iraq, to that of Yanbu, on the Saudi coast of the Sea. Red. . With a theoretical capacity of 1.6 million barrels per day, it has been regularly affected by the regional geopolitical situation. Beyond these short-term results, two networks, the "East-West oil pipeline" and Petroline, are still in service and are working to reduce dependence on the sea. However, their capacities are insufficient to export Saudi production, two thirds of which pass through Hormuz without mentioning those of other producing countries (Iraq, Kuwait or Bahrain). Isolated, the United Arab Emirates secured exports thanks to the ADCOP (Abu Dhabi Crude Oil Pipeline) which, for over 360 kilometers, connects the Habshan oil field to the Fukairah terminal on the coast of the Gulf of Oman, upstream of the strait . Entered into service in 2012, with a capacity of one and a half million barrels / day, the latter discharges more than half of the national production. Finally, maritime transport remains the most suitable mode of export. At the same time, the various canal construction projects linking the Persian Gulf to the Arabian Sea are still relevant. The Salman Canal would connect the Saudi coast of the Persian Gulf to the Arabian Sea via Yemen on a north-south axis. 950 kilometers long and 150 meters wide, it would unblock the strait giving strategic autonomy to Saudi Arabia. Finally, in this race for the sea, Iran plays a fundamental role. In fact, on 22 July 2021, the Iranian authorities inaugurated, with great fanfare, a new oil terminal in the Arabian Sea, upstream of the Strait.
This large-scale infrastructure allows diversification of export methods by guaranteeing operations and reducing navigation times. This new terminal is part of a more comprehensive energy sovereignty project. It is supplied by a 1,100-kilometer pipeline from Goureh in northwestern Iran to Jask. With a capacity of one million barrels / day, it transports all types of petroleum products (light, heavy, ultra-heavy) before being stored in 20 tanks of 500,000 barrels each and, this, awaiting loading in tanks. Therefore, the maritime carrier remains the most suitable solution for the transport of hydrocarbons from the Persian Gulf despite the multiple infrastructure projects. The control of maritime navigation in the Strait of Hormuz is of a strategic and lasting nature. However, alternative land-based solutions are being implemented in the region without addressing the challenges of a region rich in accessible hydrocarbon reserves. Vital infrastructure such as the UAE and Saudi Arabia operated land pipeline offer a theoretical capacity estimated at 6.8 million barrels / day. Currently only 2.7 million barrels / day are exploited. The Iranian terminal of Jask opens up new strategic perspectives not only in the region but also internationally in the context of nuclear negotiations. Crucial in supplying Asian markets with commodities, the Persian Gulf demonstrates the trend towards international infrastructural relations.
A central issue in understanding the role of the strait are the issues of international law related to it. Knowledge of the international law of the sea is an explanatory factor for the tensions observed in the Persian Gulf region, but also for the limits imposed on the actors in their territorial, commercial, military and diplomatic rivalries. More generally, this region illustrates the difficulties associated with ensuring international relations around fundamental principles recognized by the majority of states. The definition of maritime zones, the rules of maritime navigation, the exploitation of natural resources located on the surface, in the water column or on the seabed, etc. are governed by customary law, largely integrated into the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). Signed in Montego Bay, Jamaica, on December 10, 1982, this “Constitution of the Sea” is one of the most successful international legal achievements and testifies to a remarkable international cooperation effort initiated during the Cold War.
However, it was necessary to wait until 1994 for the entry into force of this international text, having obtained a sufficient number of states that had ratified it. Today more than 160 states have ratified this international text, including the Sultanate of Oman. However, among the powers involved in the region, Iran and the UAE have certainly signed but not ratified. The United States of America has not signed it. These large legal gaps considerably weaken international relations, especially in this region, and explain the strong tensions related to freedom of navigation. In fact, navigation in the strait is usually governed by a specific international convention or, failing that, by a customary law such as the Strait of Hormuz. In this case, UNCLOS imposes rights and duties on both riparian and user states. Under a bilateral agreement, the waters of Hormuz are shared equally between the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Sultanate of Oman. Consequently, the founding principles of freedom of navigation are fully applied. Furthermore, when transiting in transit, ships and aircraft are subject to strict obligations aimed at respecting the sovereignty of the coastal state and maritime safety rules that prevent any collision at sea. This is the case with the measures adopted by the Sultanate and the Islamic Republic regarding the separation of maritime traffic. In exchange, coastal states must guarantee freedom of navigation, a universal principle of international law of the sea, in law and in fact. Americans consider the Strait of Hormuz transit channel to be international waters and therefore effectively deny coastal states (particularly Iran) the right to regulate international transportation. waters of Hormuz provided that … maritime safety rules are strictly observed. In short, this region reveals all the complexity of international relations founded on unstable foundations: none of the actors involved fully recognizes a text of international scope that governs the status of a mandatory crossing point for international maritime navigation and the consequent obligations.
The stability of the Strait of Hormuz region is conditioned by multiple infra-state, intrastate and interstate factors at a regional but also international level. It is not a question of developing these considerations further, but of identifying the maritime mechanisms in place. This contribution aims to demonstrate the sources of a thalassopolitics in a region heavily dependent on maritime activity. Another problem that we cannot obviously address is its complexity but of which we can only mention and the role dimension of crime In the oceanic areas of the Arabian Sea or the Gulf of Oman organized crime flourishes, exploiting the anonymity of maritime and legal flows than illegal and the presence of failed states. Well, these criminal organizations are involved in the control of fish resources or raw materials (oil smuggling) as well as illicit trafficking (arms smuggling, drug trafficking).
By way of example, the internal situation in Afghanistan coupled with the extension of poppy cultivation is placing on the market increasingly large quantities of heroin seeking sea outlets to gain rebound zones in Africa or Asia before spreading to consumers' homes. But the ocean spaces are arenas in which open or indirect confrontation between state powers and criminal organizations. This international sounding board that constitutes the Strait of Hormuz amplifies the geopolitical projects as well as the diplomatic rivalries crystallized on the commercial fleet but also on the military fleets. Protected from any manipulation of influence, it is then a question of methodically deciphering these air-sea operations which are part of a real "shadow war". Beyond the tensions related to Iranian nuclear power, the Strait of Hormuz crystallizes the attention of the entire international scene. It is considered the Achilles heel of a global economy dependent on black gold for its development. The consequences of closing this bottleneck are perceived as unacceptable: disruption of the international shipping of hydrocarbons, disruption of supply and processing chains, impact on raw material prices and oil markets, cost of energy as regards the first effects.
It is in fact one of the four most important strategic transport crossings in the world with the Panama and Suez canals and the Strait of Malacca. According to the EIA, 61% of petroleum products are transported by sea according to 2015 data. In conclusion, the study of the tensions observed in maritime approaches to the Persian Gulf raises the issue of the availability of vital arteries that irrigate the world markets of raw material. It also stresses the preponderant role played by maritime transport in the proper functioning of globalized economies and the increased risk of disruption to interdependent international logistics. Therefore, closing the Strait of Hormuz seems an unrealistic option even in high-intensity crisis scenarios. Finally, this immersion in the heart of the maritime mechanisms in place in the Strait of Hormuz region demonstrates the importance of a thalassocentric approach in the analysis of international relations. It brings additional elements of appreciation that sharpen the understanding of international issues and open up new perspectives.
This is a machine translation from Italian language of a post published on Start Magazine at the URL https://www.startmag.it/energia/stretto-di-hormuz-petrolio-geopolitica/ on Sun, 12 Sep 2021 04:42:31 +0000.