By Afshain Afzal

The Pentagon has said in a statement on Saturday that its Navy ship conducting navigational rights within India's Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) without the permission of New Delhi is consistent with international law. In fact, Washington has challanged the rights of all the countries over their Exclusive Economic Zones, especially the Indian Ocean.

Washington announced that on Wednesday, 7 April 2021, it conducted a freedom of navigation operation in Indian waters without prior consent to challenge India's "excessive maritime claims". This invited a reaction from New Delhi, which on Friday said it has conveyed concerns to Washington through diplomatic channels.

Earlier Indian Ministry of External Affair was highly critical of 7 April statement of US Navy's 7th Fleet in which it categorically claimed that the freedom of navigation operation (FONOP) by the guided-missile destroyer USS John Paul Jones "upheld the rights, freedoms, and lawful uses" of the sea recognised in international law by challenging India's "excessive maritime claims".

USS John Paul Jones, a Navy destroyer was sighted in Indian Exclusive Economic Zone, which Washington claims that was its navigational rights and freedoms as it was an innocent passage. The official statement by 7th Fleet said, "On April 7, 2021 (local time) USS John Paul Jones (DDG 53) asserted navigational rights and freedoms approximately 130 nautical miles west of the Lakshadweep Islands, inside India's exclusive economic zone, without requesting India's prior consent, consistent with international law."

Indian Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Karambir Singh is, in fact, in knowledge about the joint operations planned between Indian and US Navies regarding Iran, Myanmar and Bangladesh in Persian Gulf and Bay of Bengal as well as “Maritime Security operations in the Indo-Pacific” but it always remain confidential. As there is communication gap between Indian Armed Forces and Indian Ministries including Ministry of External Affairs, New Delhi spelled out India's stated position on the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) is that the Convention does not authorise other states to carry out in the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) and on the continental shelf, military exercises or manoeuvres, in particular those involving the use of weapons or explosives, without the consent of the coastal state.

United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea is that the Convention does not authorise other States to carry out in the Exclusive Economic Zone and on the continental shelf, military exercises or manoeuvres, in particular those involving the use of weapons or explosives, without the consent of the coastal state.”

India and US are planning similar interventions in other countries Exclusive Economic Zones including Bangladesh, Brazil, Myanmar, China, Indonesia, Iran, Kenya, Malaysia, Maldives, Mauritius, North Korea, Pakistan, the Philippines, Portugal, Syria, Thailand, Uruguay, and Vietnam for military objectives. This is high time to resolve the issue once for all and disallow nations to destroy peace in the world, especially the Indian Ocean.