Who Controls the Strait of Hormuz

Who Controls the Strait of Hormuz — Iran, the U.S., or International Law?

The Strait of Hormuz is one of the most strategically vital & politically sensitive waterways on Earth. Stretching roughly 35 to 60 miles wide between the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman, it serves as the gateway between energy-rich Middle East producers and global markets. At its narrowest point, the channel lies entirely within the coastal waters of Iran to the north & Oman to the south — yet more than a fifth of the world’s oil and LNG exports transit through it daily.

Given its outsized role in global commerce and geopolitics, control over Hormuz is hotly debated. Does Iran truly control it? Does the United States hold sway? Or do norms of international law govern its use? The answer lies in understanding geography, law, and power politics — all of which shape outcomes far beyond the strait’s surface waters.

1. The Geography of Control: What Does “Control” Even Mean?

Geographically, the Strait of Hormuz sits between Iranian territory to the north & Omani territory to the south. The navigational lanes used by commercial shipping flow through a mix of Iranian and Omani territorial waters, but the strait itself is an “international strait” under global maritime norms.

Two points are critical:

• From a nation's coastline, territorial waters can extend up to 12 nautical miles. Given the strait’s narrow width, Iran’s & Oman’s territorial waters interlock, and the shipping routes lie partly within both.

• Yet even in such waters, ships enjoy transit passage rights, meaning commercial and military vessels must be allowed to pass without undue hindrance as long as they abide by safety & navigation rules recognized internationally.

So when Iranian military commanders claim “control” of the strait, it is technically about proximity and capability — not exclusive legal authority over who transits the waterway.

2. Iran’s Strategic Position and Power Projection

Iran’s proximity to Hormuz — especially from its naval hub near Bandar Abbas — gives it significant operational advantages. The Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) oversees highly mobile missile batteries, fast attack craft, & surveillance systems that monitor maritime traffic across the strait in real time.

In recent months — including February 2026 — Iran briefly closed parts of the Strait of Hormuz for live-fire drills, warning of its readiness to escalate if tensions with the United States rose further.

Iran has also seized or intercepted foreign tankers in the past — such as the M/V Talara seizure where the IRGC seized a commercial tanker purportedly to fight smuggling. These actions are presented by Tehran as exercises of sovereign jurisdiction.

Iranian officials have even publicly declared a desire to develop an independent cooperative security framework for the region, which they argue reduces reliance on external powers like the United States.

But despite such rhetoric and occasional shows of force, Iran’s capacity to block the strait permanently or unilaterally impose restrictions on traffic is limited. The geographic width, international naval presence, & global economic stakes make a full closure nearly impossible without broader military consequences.

3. The United States and Naval Power Projection

While Iran physically neighbors Hormuz, it is the United States that maintains arguably the most potent military presence in & around the strait. The U.S. Fifth Fleet, headquartered in Bahrain, has anchored American naval capability in the region since the mid-1990s.

American warships regularly conduct freedom-of-navigation operations to assert the right to transit Hormuz and to oppose perceived maritime harassment by Iran. In early 2026, the U.S. issued guidance to commercial vessels transiting the strait advising how to handle potential boarding requests from Iranian forces — a sign of the complex interplay between military posture & merchant shipping safety.

The United States claims that maintaining the free flow of commerce, including through strategic waterways like Hormuz, is part of its role as a guarantor of global trade routes. Past U.S. officials have explicitly stated that Iran does not “control” the strait in the legal sense, rather, its status as international waters obligates freedom of navigation.

However, this American influence primarily depends on military presence & alliances, not sovereign legal authority over the waterway. The U.S. cannot write the maritime rules unilaterally, but it can enforce them — if challenged by other naval powers.

4. International Law: The Legal Framework That Binds All Actors

International law - and in particular the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) - sets out the rights and responsibilities of states in & near straits used for international navigation. Under traditional interpretations:

• Straits used for international navigation must allow uninterrupted transit passage of all vessels, whether commercial or military.

• These norms prohibit coastal states from unlawfully blocking or discriminating against transit unless exceptional conditions, such as armed conflict, exist.

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Importantly, neither the United States nor Iran has formally ratified UNCLOS, even though both accept many of its customary practices. Yet the principle of unimpeded transit passage through international straits remains a widely accepted norm backed by decades of customary practice & reflected in IMO (International Maritime Organization) regulations.

Under this legal framework, no single state “owns” the Strait of Hormuz, it is governed by a mix of territorial jurisdiction and international navigation rights.

5. Clash of Perceptions: Legal Norms vs. Power Politics

The different actors involved often talk past one another:

• Iranian leaders sometimes assert control, emphasizing geographic and operational dominance close to the strait, and framing military exercises as demonstrations of sovereign authority.

• U.S. officials stress that Hormuz is an “international waterway,” and that freedom of navigation is a global interest, not an American prerogative.

• International law scholars argue that neither military echoes nor territorial proximity override the legal rights of ships to transit without discrimination.

This disconnect between power and law is why tensions — political, military, & legal - flare repeatedly. The legal framework exists as a check on absolute control, but enforcement depends on geopolitical realities shaped by naval power, alliances, and economic stakes.

6. Practical Realities: What Happens in the Strait Today?

Despite periodic saber-rattling, the Strait of Hormuz remains open for international commerce. Recent tensions, including reported closures for military drills in February 2026, underscore that disruptions are possible — but these episodes are typically short-lived and part of military posturing rather than lasting legal closures.

Shipping continues under internationally recognized transit rights, & global markets react immediately to any perceived threat to that flow - often before physical disruptions occur. For example, warnings from Greek and British authorities at points of crisis have caused commercial vessels to divert routes or delay passage, even when the strait remained legally open.

                                                                   

Conclusion: Shared Control in a Shared Waterway

So, who controls the Strait of Hormuz?

• Iran has significant geographic advantage and capacity to influence events locally, but not exclusive legal authority. It's threats or military exercises reflect leverage, not ownership.

• The United States wields naval power & diplomatic influence that reinforce freedom of navigation, but it does so as a guarantor of norms, not as a sovereign controller.

• International law -- embodied in norms around transit passage and maritime rights — provides the legal framework that obligates all actors to allow free movement, even if enforcement is political rather than judicial.

In practice, control is a dynamic equilibrium shaped by geography, naval forces, economics, and legal norms. Neither Iran nor the U.S. has absolute control. Instead, the Strait of Hormuz functions as a shared international waterway, where the rights of all nations intersect with the strategic interests of powerful states. The balance between them is fragile — & whenever that balance shifts, global markets, military planners, & diplomats feel the impact almost instantly.

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