Iranian security officials: The Strait of Hormuz is a "golden asset".

Sources in the Gulf states revealed that the focus of US-Iran diplomacy has shifted from reducing Iran's missile program to uranium enrichment levels, implicitly acknowledging Tehran's control over the Strait of Hormuz. Iranian security officials have privately expressed similar views, viewing the strait blockade not as a contingency measure but as a long-prepared deterrent. The source described the strait as "an invaluable gold asset rooted in Iran's geographical location; the world cannot take it away precisely because it is inextricably linked to Iran's geopolitical position." The Gulf source stated that the core of the Hormuz dispute is less about who controls the strait and more about who sets the rules of passage. This reflects a broader shift from fixed international norms to a power-based game of strategy. (Jinshi)