Closing the data divide: the need for open data

The memorandum of misunderstanding?

The US and Iran exchanged strikes for a third consecutive night, with Washington striking military targets, vowing to reimpose its naval blockade, and Tehran hitting allies in the region. The renewal of fighting focuses on the Strait of Hormuz and appears to boil down to differing interpretations of a key section of the memorandum of understanding signed between the two sides last month. Paragraph 5 requires Iran to use its “best efforts” to ensure the safe, charge-free passage of commercial vessels. While Washington sees this as an agreement to complete maritime freedom, Tehran may see it as a confirmation of its control over Hormuz and which vessels may pass. Meanwhile, the crisis threatens to escalate, with Trump threatening imminent military action against Pickaxe Mountain – a heavily fortified, underground site that may be a uranium-enrichment facility for Iran’s nuclear plans.