The Indonesian military explained that the navigation of the US aircraft carrier, USS Nimitz, in the Strait of Malacca was in line with international maritime law.
According to the Indonesian National Military Information Center (TNI Puspen), the ship was sailing from the South China Sea to the Indian Ocean, through the Strait of Malacca and the Singapore Strait.
The head of the TNI Puspen, Major General Kristomei Sianturi, announced that the ship was exercising the right of transit passage as provided for under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) 1982.
Furthermore, Kristomei also stressed that the Indonesian Armed Forces will continue to monitor all maritime activities by foreign parties in national waters and remain vigilant in defending national sovereignty.
He also added that the following convention allows foreign warships to cross international straits without prior notice, as long as it does not pose a threat to the security of the coastal state.
The information spread after a video of the USS Nimitz near Aceh went viral on June 17, when tensions between Israel and Iran were escalating.
