ACTING IN ACCORDANCE WITH INTERNATIONAL LAW IN THE PERSIAN GULF.

SEC. 1233. ACTING IN ACCORDANCE WITH INTERNATIONAL LAW IN THE PERSIAN GULF. (a) Findings.— The Congress makes the following findings: (1) According to Article 2 of the 1958 Geneva Convention on the High Seas, every state is entitled to exercise free and open use of the high seas for the navigation of its vessels. (2) On September 22, 1987, United States Navy forces discovered the Iranian ship Iran Ajr laying mines in international waters of the Persian Gulf, and fired upon that ship to help terminate the mining. (3) On September 23, 1987, President Reagan declared that this United States action was “authorized by law”, and a statement was issued by the State Department that the United States had the right under international law to use “reasonable and proportionate force” to terminate the mining. (b) Policy.— It is the sense of the Congress that— (1) by mining the high seas of the Persian Gulf without notifying nonbelligerent nations engaged in maritime commerce, the Government of Iran violated international law; (2) the use of force by the United States Navy to terminate that Iranian mining was justified under international law; and (3) fostering broader adherence to international law promotes the security interests of the United States.