n April 13th, 2026, the United States blockaded the Strait of Hormuz — over a dozen warships, more than 10,000 personnel, and a promise to eliminate any Iranian vessel that got close.
But this isn't new. For thousands of years, the fate of empires has been decided in narrow strips of water called chokepoints. Seven narrow passages carry much of the world's shipped goods. Shut one, and the global economy bleeds.
The British Empire understood this better than anyone. They didn't control every ocean — they controlled the doors between them. Gibraltar in 1704. Suez in 1882. Aden at the Red Sea. Singapore in 1819 to control the Strait of Malacca. Four chokepoints. One empire.
Today, the US has military bases near five of the seven. But controlling a chokepoint and keeping it open are different things. In just a few years, Houthi attacks turned the Red Sea into a no-go zone. Iran shut Hormuz. One cargo ship blocked Suez for six days.