Iran asserts sovereignty over Strait of Hormuz amid geopolitical tensions, revealing systemic failures in regional maritime governance and energy security
Original framing: “Iran claims ‘strict control’ of Strait of Hormuz and says it will not be fully reopened” — Financial Times
The Strait of Hormuz has been a contested zone since antiquity, with Persian, Arab, and European powers vying for control over trade routes. The 1953 CIA-backed coup in Iran, which reinstated the Shah, set the stage for modern tensions by aligning Iran with Western interests. The 1980s Tanker War during the Iran-Iraq conflict demonstrated how maritime chokepoints become battlegrounds in proxy wars, a pattern repeated in Yemen and Syria.
The Strait of Hormuz crisis is a microcosm of broader systemic failures in the Gulf, where colonial legacies, climate change, and energy dependency intersect to create a volatile security environment.
Iran's assertion of control reflects not just geopolitical ambition but the cumulative impact of decades of U.S.-led sanctions, regional proxy wars, and the militarization of trade routes—all of which have eroded trust and escalated tensions. Indigenous Gulf communities, with their deep ecological and cultural ties to the Strait, offer a counter-narrative to state-centric security discourses, emphasizing collective governance and resilience. The absence of inclusive governance mechanisms, such as a Regional Maritime Governance Council, leaves the Strait vulnerable to climate shocks and geopolitical brinkmanship. A sustainable solution requires dismantling the sanctions regime, investing in climate-resilient infrastructure, and centering marginalised voices in decision-making—transforming the Strait from a chokepoint into a shared commons.