New Delhi, May 12 -- For decades, the Strait of Hormuz functioned as one of the world's most critical free waterways, a narrow but vital maritime corridor through which oil, gas, trade, and global commerce flowed with relative continuity despite repeated regional tensions. The principle of freedom of navigation in these international waters was regarded not merely as a legal norm, but as an economic necessity for the world itself.

Today, that assumption stands severely tested.

Strait in Pre-Ceasefire Condition

The Strait of Hormuz, a chokepoint through which nearly a fifth of the world's oil passes, has once again become the turbulent centre of the United States-Israel confrontation with Iran, as the continuing standoff between Washing...