Giving Iran Control Of Hormuz Would Hand Russia The Arctic

BusinessAerospace & DefenseGiving Iran Control Of Hormuz Would Hand Russia The ArcticByJill Goldenziel,Contributor.Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. Jill Goldenziel writes & consults on security, law, & business risk.Follow AuthorMay 29, 2026, 04:45pm EDTSevmorput - nuclear container ship Russian Corporation FSUE Atomflot. Container terminal commercial sea port. Northern Sea Route in Pacific Ocean, Kamchatka Peninsula, Russian Far East - Aug 26, 2019gettyDespite a U.S. blockade and weeks of negotiations, Iran is still demanding sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz. Russia and China are eagerly watching. Before the U.S. blockade began, Iran was giving Russian and Chinese ships preferential access through the Strait even as it charged two million dollars in tolls to some ships and blocked others out entirely. To protect their own interests, Russia and China in April vetoed a UN Security Council resolution to reopen the Strait. But the veto was not just about Hormuz: Moscow and Beijing have a bigger prize in mind 5,000 miles to the north. Giving Iran sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz would open the door for Russia to forcibly assert sovereignty over the most important maritime waterway you’ve probably never heard of: the Northern Sea Route. Allowing Russia to control the NSR would threaten U.S. national security interests, global commerce, and freedom of navigation worldwide. The NSR runs through the Arctic, connecting the Bering Strait in the east to the Barents Sea in the west. It remains impassable for most of the year, but melting ice is making it increasingly navigable to connect Asian goods and European markets. Shippers are eyeing the NSR as an alternative to the dangerous Suez Canal route. The journey is approximately 5,600 kilometers shorter and can save 10 to 15 days. The NSR is shallower than the Suez, which means that not all large cargo ships can use it. However, it could provide a new home for the subse...