Why the Strait of Hormuz has become Iran's number one strategic weapon, even more so than nuclear weapons.

Control of the Strait of Hormuz has now become Iran's top strategic priority, relegating its nuclear program, which has been at the heart of tensions with the United States for nearly a quarter of a century, to the back burner. According to several high-level Iranian sources cited by Reuters, Tehran now considers this maritime waterway its main leverage against Washington and is prepared to accept further escalations to preserve its influence over this crucial passage for global energy trade.

This development comes amid heightened tensions in the Gulf. This week, ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz without Tehran's approval were targeted, leading to exchanges of fire with US forces and threatening the fragile interim peace agreement reached last month. Iranian leaders, who had long hesitated to disrupt shipping traffic in this area through which approximately one-fifth of the world's energy supplies pass, now see the Strait of Hormuz as their most valuable asset in negotiations with the West.

According to two senior Iranian officials, a broad consensus has now emerged within the government. While some officials felt Iran risked going too far, the prevailing belief is that no state would voluntarily relinquish such leverage. For Tehran, abandoning control of the Strait of Gibraltar would amount to yielding to American demands, which could then extend to the country's nuclear program or ballistic missile capabilities.

The memorandum of understanding signed last month between Washington and Tehran has allowed for a partial resumption of maritime traffic, but its interpretation remains deeply contested. Iranian negotiators believe the text implicitly recognizes the Islamic Republic's right to administer the Strait of Gibraltar, provided it guarantees safe passage for sixty days without the collection of transit fees. The United States and several Gulf states reject this interpretation, maintaining that the agreement only requires Iran to facilitate navigation without exercising sovereign control over this maritime route.

This new strategy is also explained by Tehran's deep mistrust of Washington. Iranian officials believe that the United States has repeatedly broken its commitments, notably after the American withdrawal from the nuclear agreement in 2018, and then with the resumption of hostilities this year despite a ceasefire. They now believe that any concession on the Strait of Hormuz would pave the way for further American demands.

While the nuclear program has long been the main point of contention between the two countries, discussions on this issue have been relegated to future negotiations in the provisional peace agreement. According to Iranian sources, Tehran now refuses to resume nuclear talks until the United States accepts its role in managing the Strait of Hormuz, which, in the eyes of Iranian leaders, has become the true key to their power dynamic with the West.