The fighting has also expanded beyond direct US-Iran exchanges, highlighting the growing risk of a wider regional conflict. The US recently reimposed its blockade of Iranian ports in the Strait of Hormuz, in a move aiming to dismantle the Iranian economy. An Iranian army spokesperson recently warned that if US strikes persist, “the war will be dragged into new arenas”. He argued that the US has no strategic interest in an endless war with Iran, and that diplomacy remains the only sustainable solution. The real choiceFirstly, a new regional maritime framework should recognise that the Strait of Hormuz lies within the territorial waters of Iran and Oman.