Iran Turns the Strait of Hormuz Into a Long-Term Leverage Asset

The US blockade of the Strait of Hormuz is shaping Iran’s long-term leverage: Tehran asserts sovereignty over the strait and could impose tolls on transit, potentially generating hundreds of millions of dollars monthly from oil and gas shipments. This would provide revenue, deter future military action, and give Iran significant bargaining power with energy-dependent states. While Washington seeks to neutralize this leverage, sustaining access would be costly and complex, possibly pushing Gulf states to diversify away from US-Israel security alignment and widening China’s regional role as a potential guarantor, though Beijing has urged normal passage and has so far balanced its own oil needs with the new toll regime.”,