Iran’s armed forces take control of Strait of Hormuz, lawmaker says

An Iranian lawmaker has declared that the country’s armed forces have taken control of the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow waterway between Iran and Oman through which roughly a quarter of the world’s seaborne crude oil passes every day. The announcement signals a dramatic escalation in Tehran’s bid to leverage its geographic position amid an ongoing conflict with the United States.

The strait would be divided between Iran and Oman under a new arrangement the two nations are finalizing. Iranian legislators are pushing companion legislation that would grant the armed forces “comprehensive and full control” over the waterway, a move US analysts say represents a significant departure from established international maritime norms.

The deal taking shape

Iran and Oman have been negotiating new shipping lanes through the strait, with both sides settling on specific geographic coordinates for inbound and outbound traffic. The proposed system would route inbound vessels through lanes favoring Iranian territorial waters, while outbound traffic would flow through Oman’s side.

The arrangement is still being formalized, but key figures within Iran’s parliament have asserted that conditions in the strait must not revert to their pre-war status.

A temporary 60-day deal has also been floated, contingent on US concessions including the lifting of port blockades.

Why this waterway matters more than almost any other

The crude oil flowing through the strait accounts for approximately 25% of global maritime crude oil trade and 19% of liquefied natural gas flows.

The conflict between Iran and the US intensified following attacks on February 28, and the strait has been at the center of the strategic calculus ever since. Prior diplomatic efforts, including a ceasefire in April and a memorandum of understanding in June, provided temporary respite, but rising tensions resulted in renewed enforcement from Iranian forces and counteractions from the United States.

For decades, freedom of navigation through the strait was maintained under international maritime law, with the US Navy serving as the primary guarantor. Iran’s move to assert armed forces control and negotiate bilateral shipping arrangements with Oman effectively sidelines that framework. US analysts have flagged the shift as a meaningful change to the rules that have governed global oil transport for generations.

Oil markets and the ripple effects

A formalized division of the waterway between Iran and Oman introduces a layer of sovereign control that did not previously exist over commercial shipping routes. That means transit fees, inspection regimes, and routing requirements could all change depending on how the final agreement reads.

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