Finland president says Iran holds upper hand through control of Strait of Hormuz
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RIYADH/WASHINGTON, April 14 - Finnish President Alexander Stubb said Iran currently holds the upper hand in its conflict with Israel and the United States because it controls the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic waterway through which a large share of the world's oil supplies passes.
Speaking at an event at the Brookings Institution in Washington, Stubb said Iran's position in the strait had effectively become a powerful strategic lever.
He said control of the shipping lane amounted to a "de facto nuclear weapon" for Iran, underscoring the significance of the waterway in global energy markets.
Stubb also suggested the situation had been shaped by policy choices in Washington, referring implicitly to the conflict as "a war of choice."
"Iran holds a lot of the cards right now," Stubb said. "I'm afraid that that is the reality."
The Strait of Hormuz remains one of the world's most important maritime chokepoints, making any threat to traffic through the passage a major concern for energy markets and global trade.
