بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
The Strait of Hormuz: The Lost Strategic Weapon, and A Look at our Straits and our Lost Strategic Weapons
(Translated)
https://www.alwaie.org/archives/article/20239
By Munaji Muhammad
Al Waie Magazine Issue No. 477
Fortieth Year, Shawwal 1447 AH corresponding to April 2026 CE
The war of America against Iran has revealed one of the truths that wars tend to expose, for war is the moment of naked truth in which hidden and concealed strategic and geostrategic realities come to light. War is the most effective and eloquent testing ground for revealing such matters.
The truth today, in the time of America’s war against Iran, is the reality of the Strait of Hormuz, considered a vital maritime passage of extreme security sensitivity, a suffocating and critical choke point, which the war has shown to be almost the most powerful strategic weapon currently in Iran’s hands!
The Strait of Hormuz is considered one of the most important, and most critical, vital and strategic maritime passages for energy trade. It connects the northern Gulf, to the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea to the south. Its geographical dimensions give it extreme strategic significance: its actual navigational channel for ships and tankers is very narrow, barely reaching three kilometers wide in each direction. Tankers use two shipping lanes—one for entry and the other for exit—each only about three kilometers wide, which is a very tight passage.
This makes it a sensitive chokepoint and a tightly sealable bottleneck, allowing for complete control by whoever possesses an expansive vision and independent decision-making command. Its strategic danger is further heightened by the lack of viable alternatives. Despite claims of alternative pipelines in Saudi Arabia and the UAE, energy centers and the US Energy Information Administration indicate that most shipments passing through the strait have no other means of exiting the region.
Thus, the Strait of Hormuz is the primary lifeline for massive oil and gas tankers heading to markets in Asia and the world, carrying resources from Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Iraq, Qatar, Bahrain, the UAE, and Iran, which are the oil and gas of the Muslim lands and the plundered wealth of Muslims!
The Strait of Hormuz is the most important and most sensitive maritime chokepoint in the world for energy trade. More than one-third of the world’s seaborne crude oil passes through it, accounting for up to 38% of global oil supplies. Approximately 20 to 21 million barrels of crude oil and petrochemical products transit the strait daily.
It is also a central hub for Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG), with around 20% to 33% of global LNG trade passing through it. Qatar relies entirely on it to export its gas shipments to Asia and the rest of the world. The strait is the main energy artery for Asian markets, especially the largest economies such as China, India, Japan, and South Korea.
In addition, the strait is a vital route for the trade of fertilizers and chemical materials. According to data and estimates for 2026, between 25% and 30% of nitrogen fertilizer exports, particularly urea, pass through it, along with chemical products most notably sulfur, of which about 45% of global trade crosses the strait. Sulfur is a key component in the production of phosphate fertilizers.
This extends to raw materials and minerals such as aluminum, copper, sulfur, lithium, and cobalt, all of which impact industrial and technological supply chains. Sulfuric acid, for example, is essential in semiconductor production, the backbone of modern technology, along with many other goods that transit this passage.
Reuters describes the Strait of Hormuz as the true center of gravity for global energy security, noting that any disruption there would inevitably cause an immediate shock to markets and trade. “About a fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas (LNG) supplies normally pass through the strait, which is the only sea exit for the fuels from key exporting countries. OPEC members Saudi Arabia, Iran, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait and Iraq export most of their crude via the waterway. Qatar, among the world’s biggest liquefied natural gas exporters, sends almost all of its LNG through the strait.” (Source: Reuters).
This makes the Strait of Hormuz the lung of the capitalist economy, and the lifeline of capitalist industry and technology, through energy and raw material supply chains that keep factories and production facilities running. It is also essential for the fertilizers and chemicals required for market-driven capitalist agriculture, in addition to being a vital artery for global capitalist trade.
Thus, the Strait of Hormuz is not merely a maritime passage; it is, in reality, a strategic deterrent weapon that nearly equals, or even surpasses, nuclear deterrence, as it can strike the capitalist economy at its core. Its impact reaches the very foundation of the capitalist order, its economy, and with it, the state, society, and everyday life in both the West and China alike.
Around 20 million barrels of oil pass daily through the Strait of Hormuz. Its partial closure has led to rising shipping and insurance costs, increased oil prices, and growing fears of global economic repercussions.
This prompted the heads of major American oil companies, ExxonMobil, Chevron, and ConocoPhillips to warn the Trump administration that the energy crisis would worsen if the closure of the Strait of Hormuz continued, according to the Wall Street Journal. The newspaper also reported, citing informed sources, that the CEOs of the three companies participated in a meeting at the White House, and held a series of discussions with the US Secretary of Energy and the US Secretary of the Interior, to assess the consequences of closing the strait.
Thus, the Strait of Hormuz has become the major dilemma and predicament for the reckless America of Trump, a matter that has shattered the image of his arrogance and bluster. It is not attacks on his bases or military installations in the Gulf that have done so. Instead, it is the potential closure of the Strait of Hormuz that has forced him to pressure China, European countries, and NATO to resolve the crisis.
In mid-March 2026, Trump called on his NATO allies and European partners to participate in a military coalition to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and secure navigation through it. He explicitly mentioned China, France, Japan, South Korea, and Britain, stating that he had asked around seven countries dependent on Middle Eastern oil to join a coalition to enforce security in the strait, through which nearly one-fifth of global oil trade passes.
However, all parties showed reservation toward his request, which is effectively a concealed refusal. The editorial of the Washington Post even urged the US administration to reassess its strategy in the ongoing conflict with Iran, proposing the option of declaring victory and withdrawing, as the only way to break the stalemate in the Strait of Hormuz.
Moreover, the option of a ground invasion is viewed by many American politicians and military commanders as a nightmare reminiscent of Vietnam and Afghanistan, a destructive quagmire that could severely damage the state.
The West’s point of collapse does not lie in the destruction of its armies and military equipment. Instead, the true vulnerability of the capitalist West lies in the breakdown of its capitalist economy. The economy is the heart of the capitalist system, the driving force shaping its political order and strategic outlook. In this sense, the heart and lungs of the West are its capitalist economy.
At the core of capitalism is transcontinental trade, which serves as the primary source of profit and wealth. Energy is the fuel that powers its production engine, and its critical weakness lies in disrupting that production and paralyzing supply chains, by cutting off energy supplies, the backbone of capitalist economic activity. This leads to rising production costs, which in turn triggers chronic inflation, higher costs of living and consumption, and a decline in purchasing power. The result is increased social tension, discontent, and potential unrest against the capitalist system.
In this framework, maritime chokepoints become strategic deterrent tools capable of restraining Western power and confronting its excesses, provided there exists a state with an ideological vision and independent political will. In such a case, these chokepoints move beyond being mere instruments of maneuvering, negotiation, or bargaining, and instead become tools of deterrence that can prevent aggression in the first place.
Herein lies the strategic danger of straits as vital naval passages, critical chokepoints, and highly destructive strategic tools. Maritime straits are the arteries of transcontinental capitalist trade—oil, gas, minerals, weapons, raw materials, goods, and commodities. Indeed, they are the lifelines of the capitalist economy and the lifeblood of its states and societies.
Controlling and commanding these narrow sea passages amounts to a powerful, tangible control over the capitalist West’s economy. It provides leverage and pressure over Western states and societies whenever there exists a state with an ideological vision and independent political will rooted in its own aqeedah (creed) especially considering that the strait is part of its independence and its strategic sphere of influence.
The painful paradox is that the Strait of Hormuz is part of the Muslim World’s geography, and its strategic significance could have made it a powerful tool serving Islam and the causes of its Ummah, instead of merely being an instrument of pressure, maneuvering, bargaining, and war tactics, used for narrow nationalistic interests.
This paradox becomes even harsher when one realizes that many of the world’s most critical straits and chokepoints belong to Muslim Lands, forming part of their vital geography and geostrategic domain. These are among our key naval passages, our strategic tools, and the core of our geostrategic weight should an ideological and effective political leadership exist.
Strait of Malacca
The Strait of Malacca lies between Malaysia and the Indonesian island of Sumatra. It is the shortest maritime passage between the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean, making it a cornerstone of global trade. Around 82,000 ships pass through it annually, and it carries more than 40% of global trade.
It also handles about 80% of China’s crude oil imports, along with a significant share of energy supplies to Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan. This makes it a vital energy artery for Asia’s major economies, particularly China, Japan, and South Korea.
From a geostrategic perspective, the Strait of Malacca represents a major challenge for China, as it is a critical maritime transit node for its economy. This means that control or influence over it can translate into significant leverage over major Asian powers, especially China.
Straits of the Bosphorus and the Dardanelles
The Bosphorus and the Dardanelles straits are the lungs of the Black Sea and the key to Eurasia. They form a maritime corridor running through the heart of Istanbul, connecting the Black Sea to the Sea of Marmara, and through the Dardanelles to the Aegean Sea, ultimately reaching the Mediterranean.
Their strategic importance lies in the fact that they are the only maritime passage linking Asia and Europe, connecting enclosed seas to open waters. They serve as the sole outlet for Black Sea countries and function as the “breathing route” for states such as Russia, Ukraine, Georgia, Romania, and Bulgaria, enabling access to warm waters namely the Mediterranean and the global oceans.
More than 40,000 ships pass through these straits annually, carrying around 3% of global oil supplies, particularly Russian and Kazakh crude. They also constitute the main corridor for grain exports from Ukraine and Russia, which play a crucial role in global food supply chains.
In short, they represent a powerful strategic lever in the hands of any sovereign political authority, capable of influencing Russia, the Black Sea region, and a vital and sensitive part of Eurasia.
Bab al-Mandab Strait
The Bab al-Mandab Strait lies between the Arabian Peninsula and the Horn of Africa, particularly Djibouti and Eritrea. It forms a narrow waterway connecting the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden and, subsequently, the Indian Ocean. It is also considered the key southern gateway to Egypt’s Suez Canal.
It represents the only direct maritime access to the Suez Canal and the main link between Europe and Asia. As such, it is a vital artery of global capitalist trade, accounting for approximately 10% to 12% of annual global trade flows.
Control or influence over this strait translates into significant leverage over global trade routes and related policies. Any disruption in Bab al-Mandab has an immediate impact on global markets by interrupting critical supply chains, increasing logistics costs, and raising shipping expenses. This became evident during the war on Gaza, when tensions and maritime disruptions in the Red Sea and Bab al-Mandab effectively constrained access to the southern entrance of the Suez Canal.
As a result, major shipping companies were forced to reroute their vessels around the Cape of Good Hope in South Africa, which is a much longer route, which significantly increased shipping and insurance costs, thereby raising production expenses, commodity prices, and contributing to inflationary pressures worldwide.
Strait of Gibraltar
The Strait of Gibraltar is a gateway to Europe and the entrance to the Western Muslim World and Africa. It functions as a channel linking the Mediterranean Sea to the Atlantic Ocean, situated between the southernmost point of Andalusia and the northwestern edge of the Arab Maghreb, which is Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia.
It is of critical strategic importance. According to the Gibraltar Port Authority, around 60,000 vessels pass through the strait annually, transporting essential goods such as oil, natural gas, food products, and manufactured commodities. In addition, Gibraltar is one of the largest and busiest bunkering, refueling, ports in the Mediterranean.
Its geostrategic significance is further heightened by the presence of a major British naval facility, His Majesty's Naval Base Gibraltar (HMNB Gibraltar), which serves as a key site for monitoring maritime movements in the region. It also enables surveillance of air and land activity, through the presence of British Army and Royal Air Force units, operating under the cover of providing repair, supply, and logistical services.
All of this reflects the vital importance and high geostrategic sensitivity of the Strait of Gibraltar. In principle, its status remains contingent upon the presence of an independent political actor with a clear strategic vision one that reclaims it within its historical and geographical Islamic context, restricts external military control, and prevents any foreign power from dominating it.
These are some of our lost strategic straits and their overlooked geostrategic importance. In reality, they are the world’s keys and locks, and beyond that, they are part of the land of Islam and its vital strategic geography.
The ongoing war against Iran has revealed this vital importance and strategic sensitivity. As soon as the possibility of closing the Strait of Hormuz was raised, maritime insurance companies collectively agreed to withdraw coverage for ships and tankers passing through the strait due to war-related risks.
Reuters reported that major maritime insurers including Gard, Skuld, NorthStandard, the London P&I Club, and The American Club issued notices on their websites dated March 1, stating that cancellations would take effect from March 5.
At the same time, major container shipping companies, including Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd, suspended transit operations through the Strait of Hormuz, which severely disrupted oil tanker movements and caused delays in energy and raw material supplies, effectively slowing down global trade flows through the passage.
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) also warned that the war with Iran, along with disruptions in energy supplies, could lead to rising inflation and slower global economic growth if elevated oil and gas prices persist for an extended period (Reuters, 19/03/2026).
In addition, Goldman Sachs predicted continued increases in oil prices, estimating that Brent crude could surpass its previous historical peak of around $147 per barrel, reached in 2008, if supply disruptions and potential closure of the strait continue.
As a result, gas and electricity prices rise, increasing energy bills for both companies and governments. This places pressure on industrial output and complicates fiscal planning in capitalist economies.
For this reason, Europe, already facing a severe energy crisis due to the Russia-Ukraine war and sanctions on Russian oil and gas, has begun to anticipate a major shock, further aggravated by this conflict. It is increasingly concerned about supply disruptions and is revising its gas storage policies accordingly.
Thus, the prospect of a new global energy crisis is re-emerging. This has placed significant pressure on European governments, pushing them—out of necessity and market dependency—to favor de-escalation and avoid involvement in Trump’s war coalition. The economic cost of a Hormuz disruption is extremely high, especially for Europe. As the well-known capitalist maxim goes, “Capital is a coward,” seeking security and stability.
The war with Iran has become a military quagmire for Trump, similar to what Afghanistan and Iraq were for his predecessors. However, what has been exposed in this confrontation has been rapid and striking, revealing the extent of Western decline and the signs of internal systemic decay affecting its leading power.
The Strait of Hormuz and the consequences of its partial disruption have delivered a severe shock to the United States and the broader West. Europe, in particular, is currently facing what resembles a Great Depression-like scenario, driven by its heavy dependence on Gulf oil especially after the Russia–Ukraine war and the disruption of Russian energy supplies due to sanctions.
The war has exposed the lost cards of strength in the hands of Muslims, resulting from the absence of a unified state. It has also revealed the effective and destructive impact that some of these cards can have on the core of the Western capitalist order.
These include energy resources, the wealth of Muslim lands in abundance, which serve as the backbone of Western industrial production, market-oriented agriculture, technology, shipping, and global capitalist trade routes.
It also includes control over key maritime chokepoints of seas and oceans, which function as vital arteries for energy, raw materials, minerals, and goods essential to industry, technology, and agriculture, all of which sustain the supply chains and logistics networks of the capitalist global economy.
The war launched by Trump’s America against Iran has confirmed a stark reality: the issue with the West is not primarily military, but fundamentally political. The West is exploiting the absence of a unified state structure in the region to turn its military predicament into a political exit strategy.
This is precisely what is happening today through the opening of negotiation channels with Iran’s leadership, in an attempt to find a way out of the military impasse and de-escalate the conflict.
The core issue in our case is the need for an ideological political authority, an independent state with a clear ideological vision that can activate the strategic assets owned by Muslims in order to deter the West and constrain its actions.
At the same time, it is argued that the West is experiencing real structural strain and internal fragility. From this perspective, a sustained and comprehensive confrontation that tightly restricts its economic and logistical outlets could, in theory, exhaust and weaken it significantly.
However, the outcome of any such scenario is ultimately dependent on the existence of a real political actor capable of centralized decision-making and coherent strategy.
The war between America and Iran has revealed the reality of the strategic and geostrategic cards that exist within the Muslim world but remain unutilized, while foreign powers are able to exploit them due to the absence of a unified state structure.
In this sense, the absence of a central political authority within the Muslim landscape is seen as a major strategic void, one that has resulted in the loss of collective potential, vital capabilities, and strategic leverage. Instead of functioning as assets for the benefit of the Muslim World, these resources and assets have, in the absence of coordinated control, been turned into tools that can be used against it.
These are our resources, our straits, and our lost strategic tools in a time of the absence of the Islamic state. They will not return to us except by dismantling the existing colonial order and closing this geostrategic and geopolitical black hole through the establishment of an Islamic state on its ruins.
Allah (swt) said,
[وَاللَّهُ غَالِبٌ عَلَى أَمْرِهِ وَلَكِنَّ أَكْثَرَ النَّاسِ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ] “Allah’s Will always prevails, but most people do not know.” [TMQ Surah Yusuf 21].