The future architecture of strategic strait management is still in the dark
Photo: Wikimedia
*
Strait of Hormuz—Wellington (on the photo): 6,700 nautical miles, or about 12,000 kilometres. Could the geographical distance between the hotbed of war at the gate of the Persian Gulf, and the capital of New Zealand, be a factor of importance for the organization of the future management of the strategic strait, which is widely discussed by both its “blockaders”: Iran and America?
In other words: what is “Hormuz” for Tehran, Washington and, say, Wellington?
According to the latest, in Tehran, they are starting to see the Strait of Hormuz as an “atomic bomb” considering the importance that one decision can have for the entire world economy – in this case, the blockade of that strait (https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/5/9/on-level-of-atomic-bomb-iran-highlights-hormuz-importance-amid-us-talks).
From that perspective, Mohammad Reza Aref, Iran’s first vice president—on the occasion of the future post-war administration of the Strait of Hormuz—announces that Iran’s “administration will ensure the security of this waterway and benefit all countries in the region.” To what extent Iran sees a role at least for Oman, directly on the opposite coast of Hormuz, remains to be seen.
Meanwhile, in an elastic series of moves regarding Hormuz, on April 28th , Washington launched the “Maritime Freedom Construct” (MFC) action – presented as a “critical” stage of establishing a new Middle East security architecture (https://www.reuters.com/world/us-seeks-new-coalition-get-ships-moving-again-hormuz-wsj-reports-2026-04-30/).
The US diplomatic invitation to join the future MFC coalition states, among other things: “We welcome all levels of engagement and do not expect your country to divert naval assets and resources away from existing regional naval structures and organizations.”
Wellington’s first official response was restrained. “”We are not close to the point where the New Zealand government would make any decisions on this. Consideration of New Zealand’s participation in any mission related to the Strait of Hormuz would depend on the existence of a sustainable ceasefire agreement,” the New Zealand Foreign Ministry said in a statement. (https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-05-01/new-zealand-says-strait-of-hormuz-coalition-requires-middle-east-ceasefire-first?sref=gvca1UZO).
The government in Wellington then announced a plan to replace its two “ageing ” frigates in due course, as well that in that process they compare Japanese Mogami-class warships and British Type-31s . (https://www.nippon.com/en/news/yjj2026050801150/).
On May 4th , Washington launched—and then—suspended Project Freedom, its next initiative to unblock Hormuz, which included solo—action by the U.S. Navy (with unconfirmed participation from allies in the Persian Gulf.
Wellington is there, quite far away.
