The demise of freedom of navigation across the global commons, a concept rooted in customary international law and codified in the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, is an unintended consequence of President Donald Trump’s war on Iran, launched on Feb. 28.

Iran’s closure on March 2 and the U.S. counterblockade on April 13 of the Persian Gulf chokepoint of the Strait of Hormuz reflected a rare point of agreement: shutting down the free flow of maritime energy trade was the key to inflicting sufficient economic pain to force the other party to negotiate a mutually acceptable resolution of the conflict.