Hormuz Is Open to 5 Countries. Not the U.S.

Iran closed the Strait of Hormuz to the world. Then handed five countries a free pass: China. Russia. India. Iraq. Pakistan. Everyone else — Saudi Arabia, UAE, Kuwait, Qatar — stuck behind a chokepoint Iran controls. On March 26, 2026, Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi announced the policy. Why those five? • China: $400 billion 25-year oil deal • Russia: sanctions partner • India: stays neutral, keeps buying • Iraq: Iran-backed Shia government • Pakistan: brokers the whole show On May 5, 2026, Iran formalized the system as the Persian Gulf Strait Authority. The chokepoint became a trading bloc. Four US bases sit in the same Gulf countries that got blocked — Al Udeid, NSA Bahrain, Al Dhafra, Camp Arifjan. Iran controls the strait anyway. #geopolitics #iran #hormuz #china #russia #india #pakistan #moneymaps #oil #middleeast #strategicchokepoint #tradingbloc Follow Money Maps for more geopolitics, mapped. #Shorts