What has Iran threatened to do to the Strait of Hormuz?

• A. close it
• B. guarantee open passage
• C. regulate traffic with tolls
• D. build a canal to bypass it

Answer: (A)

A central idea here is that controlling a critical shipping route can be used as leverage in international tensions. The Strait of Hormuz is one of the world’s most important chokepoints for oil shipments, with roughly a fifth of global petroleum passing through it. Iran has, in past tensions, threatened to close the strait as a way to pressure others or push back against sanctions. That kind of threat would severely disrupt energy markets and demonstrate how a single narrow waterway can influence global geopolitics. Therefore, saying Iran has threatened to close it aligns with those real-world dynamics and explains why this option is the best match. The other ideas—guaranteeing open passage, imposing tolls, or building a canal to bypass the strait—do not reflect the described threat and don’t capture the pressure tactic discussed in this context.