by Sylphia Basak for The 44 North, Contributing Writer - Politics
Is the Strait of Hormuz the key to victory?
Disclaimer: This article discusses Iranian policy and military strategy within the context of war with the USA and Israel. Views reflected in this article should not be taken as condoning the Iranian government and military as a whole, particularly regarding the prior treatment of its citizens.
"By controlling who is allowed passage through one of the most critical waterways, Iran is not only reconfiguring the global economy but is also normalizing the political and economic isolation of America, Israel, and their allies."
From cars to planes, furnaces and lights, MRI machines and even clothing fibre, many of our most essential needs contain some form of oil and natural gas. One passage determines the destination of over 25% of that global supply, and it’s currently blockaded, all because of a war the Trump administration started as a final defense of US/Israeli hegemony.
On the north coast of Iran, flanked by Oman and the UAE, is one of the world's most important waterways. Despite it only being 21–60 miles wide, the Strait of Hormuz is the world's most vital energy bottleneck, transporting one-fifth of global oil and LNG (Liquefied Natural Gas) shipments. (Wiki)
So why is the Strait of Hormuz so important?
The Strait provides the only sea passage from the Persian Gulf to the open ocean. It’s a major source of petroleum products globally and the only maritime route for several Gulf regions, including Qatar, Kuwait and Bahrain. Disruption to the strait can cause “severe supply shortages.” On February 28th, 2026, the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) announced its closure and declaration of military offence on ships who try to pass through the Strait without approval from the Iranian government.
Since then, “more than 18 merchant ships of various nationalities have been hit by projectiles, missiles, drone boats and sea mines,” according to one UAE estimate, quoted by AFP (BBC). The USA and Israel have responded to this blockade with airstrikes on Iran’s oil and natural gas resources, including an Israeli airstrike on the South Pars gas field, one of the largest natural gas reserves in the world. Despite this, it was Iran’s retaliation via the attacking of Israeli and Gulf nations' oil and LNG facilities that seemed to trigger concern among Western allies regarding ‘escalation’ of war and concern regarding ‘global energy supplies.’
Iranian Minister of Foreign Affairs Abbas Araghchi said on Monday that the strait was “open, but closed to our enemies.” The Iranian proposition made to the EU was to remove U.S. and Israeli ambassadors in exchange for safe passage through the Strait. Since this announcement, Iran has allowed Chinese, Greek, and Indian boats, as well as others, but overall traffic through the strait has been reduced by 70%.
Why should this matter to us? How does it impact the war between the U.S-Israel, and Iran?
Disruptions to the global supply chain have already started taking effect. Since the closing of the Strait, oil prices have risen by over 50%, from approximately $60-70 to over $100 per barrel (as of March 24, 2026). The bombing of the South Pars gas field has also led to global energy prices “soaring.”
In other words, everything is getting even more expensive and will continue to.
From commercial travel to fertilizer, regular creature comforts and luxuries will become increasingly limited as this war continues. Expect the prices of essentials to increase as well. The unpopularity of this war will be further exacerbated by the strain on the American and Western economies caused by the closing of Hormuz.
It’s no secret that America and much of the world’s energy relies on the oil reserves of West Asia (the “Middle East”), and this war seems to increasingly reveal itself as being principally about controlling those assets. This, combined with increasing colonial violence both in and outside of Western countries, indicates an empire aware of its decline and determined to hold onto its power for as long as it can. Iran is using this knowledge to reshape the global power structure. By controlling who is allowed passage through one of the most critical waterways, Iran is not only reconfiguring the global economy but is also normalizing the political and economic isolation of America, Israel, and their allies.
"Iran’s play is not military; it’s financially nuclear. What makes it all easier is that Iran is already offering the model for the rest of the Global South to follow: nearly 90 percent of Tehran’s crude exports are settled in yuan via the CIPS payment system. The Global South may eventually lock in the very simple model. Tehran is not saying the Strait of Hormuz is blocked. It’s blocked only to the hostile Epstein Syndicate – the US – and its minions trading in petrodollars. Shipping lanes are being turned in real time into political filters. As the Global South migrates to the petroyuan, the hegemonic petrodollar – since 1974 – drops dead." —Pepe Escobar, “How Iran and China Shaped the War Chessboard”, The Cradle
Many experts believe America is not equipped for a significant reduction of its oil and LNG supply, and that the Strait of Hormuz is one of the many reasons Iran is likely to outlast America and Israel in this war of attrition. Despite this, the current American administration has continued to target Iran’s natural resource facilities as well as their civilian infrastructure.
According to Iranian officials, the scale of their retaliation is yet to be seen. This past week, they have been calling for the evacuation of U.S.-owned energy centres and the continued targeting of American military bases and oil reserves in the region;
Iran, following the doctrines of decentralized, guerrilla warfare, is far more prepared for long-term war than America and Israel, who are already allegedly struggling with ammunition shortages and rapidly depleting public approval.
Ironically, the American sanctions placed on Iran mean that Iran will not be affected by this massive disruption in the global economy. What was once a major political burden has now incidentally been turned into a huge strategic advantage. In fact, America is now considering lifting their own sanctions on Iranian oil to save the economy. All evidence suggests it is becoming less and less viable to support America and Israel, but only time can determine how their hegemony may collapse.
Sylphia Basak is a journalist/writer and activist who uses a variety of mediums to convey the story she wants to tell. Her work prioritizes a decolonial lens, and seeks to counteract and analyze Western media and culture as a way of highlighting the primary contradictions of the current political climate.