Iran weaponized the Strait of Hormuz. Now its neighbors are building around it
Iran Weaponized the Strait of Hormuz: Neighbors Build Around It
Earthguardiansonline.com – Iran weaponized the Strait of Hormuz, fundamentally altering how the world views one of its most critical energy corridors. What began as a regional confrontation has evolved into a broader contest over control of this vital waterway. After nearly six months of shifting objectives—from regime change to nuclear containment—Tehran’s actions have forced neighboring nations to reconsider their dependence on this maritime chokepoint.
Tehran has demonstrated both the willingness and capability to disrupt commercial shipping unless vessels comply with Iranian directives. The United States and Gulf states view this behavior as unacceptable. The central question now is straightforward: will the Strait of Hormuz remain an open international waterway, or will Iran dictate who may pass through and under what conditions?
Transferring effective control to Tehran would generate tens of billions in annual transit fees while granting unprecedented influence over global energy markets. Iran would essentially become the thermostat operator for the world economy.
A New Reality for Global Commerce
Iran isn’t physically blocking the passage. Instead, it deploys drones and cruise missiles against civilian vessels—a strategy sufficient to halt commercial activity and shatter decades of assumptions about the strait’s reliability during conflicts.
During the twelve-day conflict in June 2025, which included American strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities, Hormuz remained largely undisturbed. That stability has now evaporated, creating significant challenges for Washington and its allies.
While serving in the White House, I witnessed how the Iranian-backed Houthi movement employed similar tactics—using Iranian missiles and drones—to close the Red Sea through the Bab al-Mandeb Strait. America assembled a coalition and launched an aerial campaign to degrade Houthi capabilities, yet we couldn’t prevent every attack or fully restore commercial confidence. The Houthis only ceased operations after reaching an agreement with Washington.
Today, the United States confronts an equivalent challenge: a time-intensive, expensive mission to counter Iranian drones and cruise missiles capable of launching from distances exceeding 1,000 kilometers.
Economic Stakes and Regional Transformation
The Bab al-Mandeb Strait handles ten percent of worldwide shipping traffic—enough to modestly increase inflation. Hormuz, by contrast, manages twenty percent of global energy commerce. President Donald Trump warned that such disruption could trigger an “economic catastrophe.”
Iran’s strategy involves elevating energy prices to pressure the White House into conceding control. Yet its tactics—attacking civilian ships and conducting operations across the Gulf—are producing longer-term consequences that may ultimately disadvantage Tehran.
Across the Middle East, governments and energy companies are accelerating pipeline, port, and transportation corridor projects designed to route oil, gas, and merchandise around the strait rather than through it. The United States now provides direct support for these developments.
The waterway will certainly remain significant. Nevertheless, for the first time in many decades, the region is investing seriously in a future where Hormuz might not prove essential. The Middle East energy map is being redrawn specifically to diminish Iran’s influence over this critical chokepoint.
Before hostilities began, roughly twenty-three million barrels of energy products flowed daily through the Strait of Hormuz. It served as the primary export route for Iraq, Kuwait, Qatar, and Bahrain, while functioning as the main transit path for products originating in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. Now governments are preparing for scenarios where the strait periodically closes or becomes commercially unpredictable.
Rather than relying on one indispensable chokepoint, nations are investing in a network of multiple export pathways that will progressively reduce Iran’s leverage. These initiatives won’t substitute every barrel that previously passed through, but they will fundamentally alter the strategic calculus for the region.
