WASHINGTON (JTA) — Americans for Peace Now said it "strongly backs" rules of engagement for Iranian and U.S. ships in the Straits of Hormuz.
APN’s endorsement is of a non-binding resolution circulating this week through the U.S. House of Representatives that encourages the negotiation of "Incidents at Sea Agreement" between Iran and the United States.
The proposal follows a January 2008 incident in which Iranian Revolutionary Guards vessels engaged U.S. Navy vessels in the region.
Two fifths of the world’s petroleum transits through the Straits of Hormuz and a conflagration would have serious international consequences, according to the resolution introduced by Reps. John Conyers (D-Mich.) and Geoff Davis (R-Ky.).
"A clash in the Strait of Hormuz would have catastrophic consequences for the world economy, especially the price of oil," it says.
The resolution also cites the Israeli-Palestinian conflict as a factor exacerbating tensions in the region. "The naval buildup in the region, and differences between the United States and Iran, Hamas, and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Lebanon and Hezbollah, and Iran’s nuclear program, all make for an environment that is highly charged, fragile and very susceptible to destructive developments," it says.
