🇺🇸🇵🇰🇮🇷 - Pakistan is one of 25-30 countries (of which 21, including Islamabad, have ratified) that maintain foreign militaries must obtain consent before conducting military activities within their Exclusive Economic Zone. Islamabad's position is that foreign naval forces cannot legally carry out military operations or weapons exercises in Pakistan's EEZ without Pakistani approval. The US canNOT be present in Pakistan's EEZ without Islamabad's consent, lest it cause friction between the two. If the US does however enter Pakistan's EEZ without consent, Islamabad, as per its own ruling, will see that a violation of its sovereignty. Other countries that interpret UNCLOS in such a way are India, Brazil, Iran, and others. The only UN Security Council Permanent Member to share those maritime views is China. The US, France, UK, and the majority of the civilized works argue UNCLOS Articles 58 and 87 grant countries economic and research rights in the EEZ only. Russia generally agrees with the Western powers, and opposes restrictions on military activities in the EEZ, except for the Arctic. Russia has historically rejected the flawed China+Pakistan interpretation of UNCLOS.