Recently, an incident in the waters of the Gulf of Oman attracted international attention.
According to British Sky News, in the waters of the Gulf of Oman, a ship flying the flag of the Marshall Islands was seized by Iran. In response, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said that an unknown ship clashed with Iranian ships in the northern Indian Ocean, killing at least 2 people and injuring many others. Subsequently, Iran tracked and intercepted the unidentified vessel, eventually seized it and transferred it to Iranian territorial waters.
However, what is shocking is that the seized tanker actually belongs to the United States. Although it carries the flag of the Marshall Islands, it is owned and operated by American companies.
This raises the question: Why would the United States use the flag of the Marshall Islands to conceal its identity? Is it an attempt to carry out clandestine activities near Iran? Or do you want to avoid detection and retaliation from Iran?
First, let's take a look at what the Marshall Islands is and how it relates to the United States.
The Marshall Islands is an island nation located in the central Pacific Ocean, consisting of 29 coral atolls and 5 separate islands. It was once a Japanese colony and later occupied by the United States in World War II.
In 1947, the United Nations placed the Marshall Islands under U.S. trusteeship, and in 1958, the United States conducted the first hydrogen bomb test in the Marshall Islands. In 1986, the Marshall Islands signed the Free Association Agreement with the United States, formally becoming an independent sovereign state, but also receiving defense guarantees and economic assistance from the United States. Under the agreement, the United States can use military bases and facilities in the Marshall Islands, while the Marshall Islands can enjoy the market and currency of the United States.
So why did the United States register its ships under the flag of the Marshall Islands?
This is actually a very common practice, known as the "cheap flag". Cheap flags refer to the fact that some ships choose to register in countries or regions that do not have strict requirements for ship registration, lower fees, weaker laws or more political flexibility in order to save costs, avoid regulation, evade taxes or hide their identities. In this way, the vessel can enjoy the convenience and protection of the country or region of registration without having to comply with the regulations of the country or region to which it belongs.
For example, vessels registered in the Marshall Islands are not subject to any taxes or fees or compliance with any safety, environmental or labor standards. Also, the Marshall Islands also allows foreigners to own and operate vessels without providing any status.
These preferential policies have attracted many shipowners and shipping companies, making the Marshall Islands the second largest flag state in the world, after Panama. However, this approach also poses some serious problems.
First, ships in the Marshall Islands are prone to accidents, resulting in casualties and environmental pollution. For example, in January 2019, a Marshall Islands vessel carrying oil collided with a fishing vessel in Chinese waters, leaving 32 fishermen missing, as well as a massive oil spill.
Secondly, ships in the Marshall Islands may also be involved in illegal activities such as smuggling, smuggling, drug trafficking, etc. Due to the lack of regulation and transparency, these vessels are difficult to track and trace. For example, in December 2020, a Marshall Islands freighter was intercepted by the Indian Navy in the Indian Ocean and found to be carrying a large amount of weapons and ammunition, suspected of supplying Somali pirates.
Therefore, the flag regime of the Marshall Islands not only harms the interests of other countries, but also threatens the international maritime order and security. I believe that the international community should exert pressure on the Marshall Islands to improve its vessel management and oversight mechanisms and comply with international law and norms, or impose sanctions and penalties on it.
The incident has now sparked a tense standoff between the United States and Iran. The U.S. Navy's Fifth Fleet has arrived at the incident area, demanding that Iran immediately release the tanker and crew, and warning Iran against further hostilities. The United States also accused Iran of violating international law and the principle of freedom of the sea in international waters, threatening regional and global security and stability.
However, the Iranian side did not buy it. A spokesman for Iran's Foreign Ministry said the United States was making excuses for its illegal actions and trying to divert attention. He said the United States intercepted a tanker carrying Iranian oil near the Strait of Hormuz and tried to hijack it. He also said that the United States is sending a large number of weapons and military forces to the region, interfering in the internal affairs of the region and undermining peace and cooperation in the region.
The Strait of Hormuz is an important waterway connecting the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman and a choke point for global oil shipments. About 20 million barrels of oil pass through here every day and are shipped around the world.
As a result, it has also become a focal point for a struggle for influence between the United States and Iran. By flexing military force here, the United States hopes to protect its own interests and those of its allies and curb Iran's nuclear program and regional ambitions.
Iran, on the other hand, hopes to resist U.S. sanctions and pressure and maintain its sovereignty and dignity by conducting military exercises and interception operations here.