U.S. proposes 'Maritime Freedom Coalition' for the Strait of Hormuz; Iran says 'naval blockade is illegal'

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\r\n[Financial News] As the United States of America (U.S.) stepped up pressure by proposing an international coalition over the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz and the laying of mines, Iran pushed back, saying the U.S. naval blockade itself is illegal.
At a United Nations Security Council (UNSC) meeting at United Nations Headquarters in New York on the 27th local time, Ambassador Mike Waltz described Iran's control of the strait as a "hostage-taking operation" and proposed forming an international coalition called the "Maritime Freedom Coalition."
Waltz said, "The vast majority of the world's countries are bearing a greater economic burden than the United States of America (U.S.)." He added, "The Strait of Hormuz is not Iran's hostage, not a bargaining chip, and not a private road on which it can collect tolls." He then sharply criticized Iran over mine-laying, calling it an "international criminal and a pirate of the strait."
He also said, "Iran is so incompetent that it cannot even locate the mines it laid," adding, "The U.S. military is currently carrying out mine-clearing operations. The international community should expand this effort."
Waltz said that countries willing to stand together for civilian shipping, maritime finance and insurance, and humanitarian relief should pool their practical capabilities. He cited the example of Combined Task Force 151 (CTF-151), which was formed to counter Somali pirates. "Now is the time for action, not words," he emphasized.
In response, Ambassador Amir Saeid Iravani said at the same meeting that the U.S. naval blockade was an illegal act of aggression.
Iravani blamed tensions in the Strait of Hormuz on "U.S. attacks on Iranian merchant ships and the detention of crew members," arguing that Iran's actions were a legitimate exercise of sovereignty in its own territorial waters. He said, "Iran is not bound by the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea because it is not a party to the 1982 treaty. There can be no regional stability without credible guarantees to stop aggression and prevent it from happening again."
Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Iravani accused the U.S. of "acting like pirates or terrorists" and said, "Some countries claim to support freedom of navigation, yet turn a blind eye to U.S. actions. The U.S. and the countries that support it will be responsible for any future disruption to maritime transport."
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km@fnnews.com Kim Kyung-min Reporter