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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
World
Patrick Wintour Diplomatic editor

Iran faces strait of Hormuz paradox as strategic value of chokehold erodes

A girl walks along a beach as ships sit offshore
Vessels in the strait of Hormuz are visible near the beach of Bandar Abbas, Iran. Photograph: Majid Asgaripour/Reuters

Is the strait of Hormuz, recently cited by the office of the Iranian supreme leader as “the pillar of Iran’s new security order”, and as transformative as possessing a nuclear weapon, in reality becoming a fast-diminishing asset, leaving Iran increasingly vulnerable to the new planned US wave of economic sanctions?

It is the key debate that is raging inside Iran, with many different conclusions being drawn for Tehran’s negotiating strategy. Those who warn the strait’s value as a chokehold on the world economy will erode, leaving the country without foreign exchange reserves, argue that Iran’s negotiators should seek a deal soon.

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