It's not at all. Who is dictating who has what rights? Each side took action against the other's interests. Each claims the other is in the wrong.

Claiming that a country can't exercise military control over its territorial waters seems like a legal or political fiction to me. Granted they share part of the waterway with their neighbors but expecting a country at war to honor such things also seems like wild fantasy to me. They've been bombing those same neighbors.

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nradov 3 hours ago | parent [-]

You appear to be confused about maritime law. Iran hasn't ratified the UNCLOS or agreed to follow its terms so their territorial waters extend only 3 NM from their shores. Iran has been attacking neutral vessels well outside that limit.

Of course in the real world law takes a back seat to force.

	▲	fc417fc802 3 hours ago \| parent [-]
		Was the swipe suggesting that I'm confused (I'm not) really necessary? > their territorial waters extend only 3 NM from their shores Do you suppose their current government would agree with that statement? Personally I rather doubt they would. But even if they did, as you say law often takes a back seat to force in these matters meaning that they could just as well say "yeah you're right but we're at war so get bent".