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Strait of Hormuz: Merchant Shipping

My Lords, will the Minister confirm that, for nearly 30 years after the signature and entry into force of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea—to which we all subscribe and

which considers the Strait of Hormuz to be an international waterway—it was possible to sustain that in the face of Iran not so agreeing, but not by using force? Could that not be an element in a diplomatic approach to this which would cover the extremely important issue of Iran’s nuclear programmes as well, both of which need to be resolved if there is to be peace and security in that region?