Who Is Breaking International Law in the Strait of Hormuz? It's Not Iran, Says Scholar

Source: Democracy Now! · Bias: Far Left

Summary

While many Western countries have condemned Iran’s restrictions on shipping in the Strait of Hormuz as a breach of international law, reaction has been relatively muted about the “clearly unlawful” war that the United States and Israel launched against Iran, says law professor Maryam Jamshidi. “This says a lot about the ways in which international law is being deployed in this moment as a way of restraining and regulating Iranian behavior, while effectively allowing the United States and Israel a free hand to do what they want,” says Jamshidi, a professor at the University of Colorado Law School and a nonresident fellow at the Quincy Institute.

Related Coverage

Daily Analysis

Read the full Parallax Pulse for April 20, 2026 — an AI-powered analysis of how Left and Right media covered the biggest stories this day.

More Headlines From April 20, 2026

Who Is Breaking International Law in the Strait of Hormuz? It's Not Iran, Says Scholar
Democracy Now!

Who Is Breaking International Law in the Strait of Hormuz? It's Not Iran, Says Scholar

Far Left

While many Western countries have condemned Iran’s restrictions on shipping in the Strait of Hormuz as a breach of international law, reaction has been relatively muted about the “clearly unlawful” war that the United States and Israel launched against Iran, says law professor Maryam Jamshidi. “This says a lot about the ways in which international law is being deployed in this moment as a way of restraining and regulating Iranian behavior, while effectively allowing the United States and Israel a free hand to do what they want,” says Jamshidi, a professor at the University of Colorado Law School and a nonresident fellow at the Quincy Institute.