Abdullah Baabood said that no country outside the region should control the Strait of Hormuz to protect regional security and trade [1].
The warning highlights the critical vulnerability of the waterway, which serves as the primary artery for global energy exports and regional commerce. Any shift in control toward an external power could destabilize the economic foundations of the Gulf states.
Baabood, who serves as the Chair of the State of Qatar for Islamic Area Studies at Waseda University, said that Gulf states are "very worried" about disruption to the Strait of Hormuz [1]. The strategic waterway, located between Oman and Iran, is essential for the movement of oil and gas [1].
According to Baabood, the risk of an outside nation exerting control over the passage poses a direct threat to regional trade and energy exports [1]. He said that no country outside the region should control the key waterway [1].
Gulf governments view the potential for external interference as a serious risk to their overall security [1]. The anxiety stems from the potential for trade blockades or political leverage used by foreign powers to influence regional policy, a scenario that could trigger global energy price volatility.
Baabood said that the stability of the region depends on the management of the waterway by those directly impacted by its operation [1].
“No country outside the region should control the key waterway.”
The Strait of Hormuz is one of the world's most important oil chokepoints. Baabood's warning reflects a broader geopolitical desire among Gulf nations to maintain autonomy over their economic lifelines and avoid becoming pawns in the strategic competition between global superpowers.
