The Critical Date and the Dispute over Islands in the Strait of Hormuz: Abu Musa and the Tunbs
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Date
2024-05-01
Authors
Rossi, Christopher R.
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
University of Oregon School of Law
Abstract
An intractable sovereignty dispute over three Lower Gulf Islands in the Strait of Hormuz, a critical energy chokepoint, prompts a reconsideration of the ambiguities and tensions associated with international legal mechanisms to establish title to territory. Vagaries of history and competing narratives inform parochial perspectives of the disputants, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Iran, but tend to focus decision-maker attention on establishing a critical date on which to assess competing claims. This Article interrogates the significance of the critical date, noting its ontological development and shortcomings, and problematizes the significance of the critical date considering complexities associated with international law’s reliance on effectivités. Liberal internationalism’s chimerical emphasis on finality cannot escape the tensions associated with letting bygones be bygones through reliance on the critical date.
Description
48 pages
Keywords
United Arab Emirates, Iran, Persian Gulf, Sovereignty
Citation
25 Or. Rev. Int'l L. 1