Protecting international trade routes and water is fully in compliance with international law. The United States has been doing this since the Barbary Wars, which this is quite similar to. Non-issue.
Yeah I read the post title and was wondering, “why does the US need a loophole?”. A country can’t attack international shipping and civilian vessels. It’s the whole reason why so many countries perform freedom of navigation exercises. If the freedom of navigation is threatened and can’t be enforced, then there is no freedom of navigation.