The situation in the Persian Gulf seems to have become more complicated. Recently the Maersk Kensington was “harassed” by apparent warships flying the Iranian flag. Now the Maersk Tigris has been boarded and directed to anchor after Iranian forces fired across her bow. Here are my thoughts about this situation. One must carefully separate the political from the legal here. Clearly there are substantial political implications with this matter going on and the negotiations the US government and the Iranian government are having as to the Iranian nuclear capability. However, we also must be careful not to equate the two matters. What is happening with the vessels seems on one hand to be a minor matter when compared to the negotiations. On the other hand it is a window into the Iranian state and the Iranian government which if viewed in certain ways is unsettling.

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