How Iran’s Hormuz ‘golden weapon’ rises above nuke prog

Control over the Strait of Hormuz has become Iran’s “golden weapon,” a priority that now outweighs its nuclear programme. Tehran is willing to risk new escalations with the United States to secure dominance over the waterway, which carries a fifth of global energy supplies.

This week, Iranian forces fired on ships passing without approval, sparking clashes with US forces and threatening last month’s fragile interim peace deal. Iranian leaders, long hesitant to choke off Hormuz, now see it as their strongest card in disputes with the West and the reason Washington agreed to end the war.

“Recognise the new Iranian order in the Strait of Hormuz: this is the only way forward,” wrote Ebrahim Azizi, a member of parliament’s national security committee. Two senior Iranian sources told Reuters there is little dissent in Tehran over the policy, despite concerns about overplaying their hand. “The issue of Hormuz, which is Iran’s golden weapon, is something they now want to take away from Iran, and that will be absolutely impossible,” one source said.

The interim deal signed by US President Donald Trump reopened the strait but left its future vague. The memorandum says Iran will ensure safe passage for 60 days without charge. Tehran interprets this as recognition of its right to manage the waterway, while Washington and Gulf states reject that view.

Iran’s stance is shaped by deep distrust of the US, aggravated by Trump’s 2018 withdrawal from the nuclear deal and his surprise launch of war earlier this year.

Officials argue that backing down on Hormuz would invite further US demands on missiles and nuclear issues.

Iran had long warned it could close the strait “as easy as drinking a glass of water,” but avoided doing so to prevent isolation.

That changed after the February 28 airstrikes by the US and Israel killed supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and other top officials. Tehran shut Hormuz to all traffic except its own, triggering the biggest disruption to global energy supplies in history.

Although the blockade forced both sides to negotiate, Iran now insists its control must be formalised.

Nuclear talks have been pushed aside until Washington accepts Tehran’s management of Hormuz, underscoring how the strait has eclipsed the nuclear file as Iran’s top priority.