1.   They must balance the commitment to free navigation enshrined in the Montreaux Convention against the safety of a vital waterway that runs through the heart of a teeming metropolis.

2.   NATO bombardments of the bridges have halted commercial traffic along the vital waterway.

3.   The refinery was cut off from supply ships this week when a dry dock collapsed into a vital waterway.

4.   The Fujairah port, just south of Hormuz Strait, has expanded its berths and other facilities to face growing demand by ships transiting the vital waterway.