Strait of Hormuz: Law, power and the peril of global instability

THE Strait of Hormuz has once again become the fault line of global geopolitics, as escalating hostilities in 2026 involving the United States, Israel and Iran transform this narrow maritime corridor to a theatre of strategic coercion, legal contestation and economic vulnerability.

With roughly one-fifth of global oil transiting this chokepoint, any disruption reverberates far beyond the Gulf, threatening global stability and exposing the fragility of international law in times of conflict.

At the heart of the crisis lies a fundamental question: Can Iran lawfully restrict or block passage through the Strait of Hormuz and is the United States justified in responding with a naval blockade?

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