The Strait of Hormuz has once again moved from geography to law.

The questions raised in my last analysis on jurisdiction and enforcement do not end there. They reappear, in a different form, in the waters of this narrow but critical corridor. The setting has changed. The underlying concern has not.

The Strait carries nearly one-fifth of global energy supplies. Its legal status is well established. Under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, it qualifies as an international strait governed by the regime of transit passage. Ships and aircraft are entitled to continuous and expeditious passage, and that right cannot be suspended or impeded. Even earlier law recognised that such straits could not be closed.

On paper, the position is clear. The Strait cannot be lawfully shut. Yet the present moment illustrates a different difficulty.

Despite heightened tensions and repeated threats, vessels continue to pass. Pakistan's own tanker has recently transited the Strait without........

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