Strait of Hormuz

The Strait of Hormuz is an international waterway connecting the Persian Gulf to the Arabian Sea. Iran lies to the north of the strait, while an exclave of Oman and the United Arab Emirates lie to the south. Control over the strait determines control over the supply of oil from the Gulf nations to the rest of the world; therefore the United States and its allies have kept naval forces in the area for many years to guard against threats (implicit and explicit) by Iran to control passage.