The Strait of Hormuz as an Instrument of Iranian Power Assertion and Political Pressure
Proximity to geographically strategic objects, in the long term, often becomes a lever of geopolitical advantage for countries. For the Persian Gulf states, a similar space turned out to be the Strait of Hormuz, through which more than 20% of the world’s oil supplies come, and for Iran in particular, it has become a maritime point of strategic importance. It is here that the decisive importance of geographical advantage is seen, since other countries in the region, for example: Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, are also distinguished by their oil reserves, however, only Iran is given the opportunity to demonstrate its power in the strait, which is expressed in the real threat and intimidation of closing the strait. The Strait has acquired special importance for Iran since the 80s of the 20th century, against the backdrop of the Islamic Revolution and the Iran-Iraq war. Today, the northern coast of the Strait of Hormuz is fully controlled by Iran, and in the event of a regional or international conflict, Iran uses its geostrategic proximity to the strait as a means of defense.
Developing Iran’s energy role:
The formation and development of Iran’s energy potential dates back to 1908, when oil deposits were discovered, which marked a turning point in the history of modern Iran. However, as in other countries of the world, Iran was initially dominated by foreign powers, mainly Russia and Great Britain. As we read in a statement by Iranian officials: “Foreign governments and companies secured concessions covering vast areas for decades, with Iran receiving only 16% of profits” (Maiwald, 2025).
Over the years, the country’s potential grew, but amid a decline in income and Iran’s contribution to foreign trade, in the 1950s, Mohammad Mossadegh began nationalizing oil. This was the reason for the activation of external forces and the overthrow of the country’s prime minister by British-American forces.
The most important stage in the history of Iran begins with the coming to power of Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, since it was at the initiative of the Shah that OPEC was created in 1960 (Organiation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries). The main goal of creating the organization was to unite oil-producing countries, as this would reduce Western control, while on the other hand, Iran, as the largest oil producer, would have the opportunity to use its advantages and, if necessary, become a lever of intimidation.
The next important stage was the 1970s, when the interdependence of politics and energy became most clearly evident in international relations. This was especially evident in the global nature of local conflicts, against the backdrop of the 1973 Yom Kippur War and the 1979 Iranian Revolution (Rudolph, 2022).
The Strait as a Political Leverage:
The Strait of Hormuz is a strategic point connecting the Persian Gulf and is the route through which more than 20% of the world’s oil supplies pass. The Strait is dominated by three major states: Iran, Oman, and the United Arab Emirates.
The Strait’s involvement in world geopolitics has a long history, but it gained particular importance at the beginning of the 20th century, when oil and gas were discovered and later began to be extracted in the region.
The northern part of the strait, from a geographical point of view, is fully controlled by Iran; therefore, political subordination is also in the hands of Iran. If we consider it legally; United Nations rules allow countries to exercise control up to 12 nautical miles (13.8 miles) from their coastline (Butler,2025). And the narrowest section, 30 miles, is located between Oman and Iran, meaning that Iran has the greatest opportunity to block the main strategic point, as the most powerful state with the most resources, which is also facilitated by its geostrategic location (Strauss Center, 2025).
Due to its advantage, Iran has repeatedly used the opportunity to threaten the West and, if necessary, turn blackmail into reality, although it must be said that so far, Iran’s pressure has been only verbal and has not been implemented, since any crisis is bilateral in nature. We can consider several examples of political manipulation:
- The Islamic Revolution of Iran, 1979 – The overthrow of the Shah in Iran led to internal unrest and a sharp nationalist stance. The Iranian government has always seen its advantage in the world’s oil supply, as confirmed by a statement broadcast on Iranian television: “If someday, the United States decides to block Iran’s oil [exports], no oil will be exported from the Persian Gulf “ (Iddon,2018). This was the first time that Iran’s global energy importance became most clearly apparent.
- Iran-Iraq War, 1980s – During the war, Iraq sought to share Iran’s oil infrastructure in the Persian Gulf. Iran’s threats were particularly visible here when it said that if Iran’s exports were restricted, then other states would not be able to use the strait either. The United States also became involved in the conflict. The strait was not completely closed, although the war had a significant impact on prices.
- Launch of Iran’s nuclear program, 2011-12 – The West has always been particularly opposed to Iran’s creation of a nuclear potential. Despite UN Security Council resolutions and recommendations, Iran launched an “enriched uranium program” in the 2000s, which increased suspicions and led to sanctions. The sanctions response was the threat of Iran closing the Strait. “This bill has been developed as an answer to the European Union’s oil sanctions against the Islamic Republic of Iran”, – Mentioned in the Iranian Parliament report (Al Jazeera, 2012).
These historical examples convince us that Iran has often used its geostrategic location for political purposes, which continues to this day, and the topic remains relevant. As confirmed by the Iran-Israel conflict of 2025. As former head of the UK’s intelligence agency MI6, Sir Alex Younger, told the BBC–“Closing the strait would be obviously an incredible economic problem given the effect it would have on the oil price” (Butler, 2025).
Although the Iranian parliament has passed a resolution to close the Strait of Hormuz, as in other cases, it has not been approved, because this is a global event and closing the Strait will cause great damage to the entire world; the decision cannot be made independently by Iran. Nevertheless, Iran is aware of its dominant role and importance in world energy, so in the event of a global event, when it wants to show excessive aggression, it may carry out the threat.
The historical development of the Strait of Hormuz shows us that Iran is a global power; whose influence is growing. Despite the fact that until now the closure of the Strait was only within the framework of an ultimatum, the topic remains relevant to this day and is so relevant that a package of sanctions on Iran is still being created. The West, its ally on the one hand and the aggressor on the other, will not allow Iran to create nuclear weapons for the sake of international or regional security, which will always be the basis for conflict and a cause of tension.
The example of Iran proves that the Strait of Hormuz is not just a historical-geographical phenomenon, it is a geostrategic given that the state uses as a political, diplomatic and economic lever. We cannot say for the future that it will decrease; on the contrary, based on the arguments, we can firmly say that the issue has a conflicting nature. Iran will always try to use its nuclear potential, and the West will try to stop it. At this stage, the process can be assessed as long-term, because reaching a consensus against the background of different values is practically impossible.
Author: Anna Alikadze
Bibliography
Gavin, B. (2025). Strait of Hormuz: What happens if Iran shuts global oil corridor?. BBC News. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c78n6p09pzno
Joseph, R. (2022). Energy crisis of the 1970s. EBSCO Knowledge Advantage. Energy crisis of the 1970s | Research Starters | EBSCO Research
Phillip, M. (2025). The Nationalization of Iranian Oil. Evergreen. https://sites.evergreen.edu/ccc/energy-foreign/the-nationalization-of-iranian-oil/
Paul, I. (2025). A history of Iranian threats to blockade Gulf oil exports. The News Arab. A history of Iranian threats to close Hormuz Straits
Iran’s MPs debate Strait of Hormuz closure. (2012). Al Jazeera. Iran’s MPs debate Strait of Hormuz closure | News | Al Jazeera
Strate of Hormuz. (2025). Strauss center. https://www.strausscenter.org/strait-of-hormuz-geography/
Photo source – Strait of Hormuz under threat amid regional tensions – Port Technology International
