The question
Who Controls the Strait of Hormuz?
No one owns it outright. Iran and Oman share the water, because their territorial seas overlap at the narrows, and international law gives every ship the right of transit passage. In practice, whoever can threaten the lanes sets the terms.
Shared by geography.
Each coastal state is entitled to a territorial sea of up to 12 nautical miles. The Strait of Hormuz is only 21 nautical miles wide at its narrowest, so Iran’s claim from the north and Oman’s from the south overlap. Both shipping lanes run through water that belongs to at least one of them, and there’s no stretch of high seas. See where the strait is and which countries border it for the map of the shores.
Iran holds the entire north shore, with IRGC naval bases on the coast and on Abu Musa and the Greater and Lesser Tunbs, islands the UAE disputes. Oman holds the Musandam peninsula to the south, and its waters carry the southern corridor. That split matters in the current crisis, as the last section explains.
Transit passage, not ownership.
UNCLOS Part III treats Hormuz as an international strait. Every ship and aircraft, civilian or military, has the right of transit passage: it can cross without stopping and without asking permission, and the coastal states can’t suspend that right. The US Navy and most governments read the rule this way, and it’s why a unilateral closure is contrary to international law.
Iran’s position is different. It signed UNCLOS in 1982 and never ratified it, so it says the treaty doesn’t bind it. It argues that the right of transit passage belongs to treaty parties, and that its own territorial-sea laws govern ships crossing its waters. Oman and the UAE have both ratified. The legal gap is real, though in practice the dispute gets settled by who can enforce what, not by a court. The same law bars tolls on transit passage, a point covered on the transit fee page.
Law on paper, force on the water.
The Strait of Hormuz has been effectively closed to commercial traffic since February 28, 2026. Iran’s navy and coastal missiles sit on the north shore, and they can threaten both lanes whatever the law says. Oman holds the southern waters, and its side of the strait carries the southern corridor.
So the answer depends on what you mean by control. Legally, no one controls it, because the lanes run through the territorial waters of two states and a treaty guarantees passage. Practically, the state that can hit ships in the lanes decides whether insurers cover them and whether owners sail. Can Iran close the strait covers the capability, and is the strait open has the live status.
Frequently asked.
FAQWho controls the Strait of Hormuz?
Iran and Oman share legal control, because the strait is narrower than the territorial seas they each claim. Iran holds the north shore and has the stronger military position, with IRGC naval bases and island positions. Oman holds the Musandam peninsula to the south. Under international law, neither can close the strait to ships exercising transit passage.
Does anyone own the Strait of Hormuz?
Not as a single owner. The strait is 21 nautical miles wide at its narrowest, and Iran and Oman each claim a 12 nautical mile territorial sea, so the claims overlap and the lanes run through water belonging to both states. No stretch of the strait is high seas.
What is transit passage under UNCLOS?
It is the right of every ship and aircraft, civilian or military, to cross an international strait without stopping and without prior permission. UNCLOS Part III sets it out, and coastal states can't suspend it. Innocent passage, the weaker right that applies in ordinary territorial waters, can be suspended in some cases, which is why the distinction matters.
Has Iran ratified UNCLOS?
No. Iran signed the convention in 1982 and never ratified it. Oman and the UAE are parties. Iran argues that transit passage is a treaty right that binds only parties, and that its own territorial-sea laws apply to ships passing through its waters. The United States, which has also not ratified UNCLOS, and most other states treat transit passage as customary international law that binds everyone.
Cite this page
Iran and Oman share the waters of the Strait of Hormuz, where their territorial seas overlap. UNCLOS Part III gives all ships the right of transit passage, but Iran signed the convention in 1982 and has not ratified it, as documented by straits.live. Source: https://straits.live/who-controls-the-strait-of-hormuz
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