Who Really Controls the Strait of Hormuz Now?

On Saturday, October 10, 2026, an American fighter jet disabled a cargo ship in the Gulf of Oman with a single strike to its stern. One day earlier, Iran's Revolutionary Guard said it had set a gas carrier on fire for taking an "illegal" route through the Strait of Hormuz. Two navies, two ships, two different reasons. In this animated map we ride along with a typical gas carrier leaving Ras Laffan in Qatar and follow it through the most important waterway on Earth, clue by clue, to find out why the Strait of Hormuz isn't closed once, but twice. Inside the strait: Iran's corridor north of Larak Island, the transit permits handed out from Tehran and a reported 2 million dollar toll. Along the cliffs of Musandam: the southern passage Iran calls illegal, and more than 100 suspected mines. Out in the Gulf of Oman: the US blockade of Iran's ports, from Kharg Island to Chabahar. Plus the sanctioned ships quietly switching to Nicaraguan radio numbers, the shared corridor Oman and Iran agreed on paper, and what each possible ending would change on the map. 0:00 Two navies, two ships 1:24 One gas carrier leaves Qatar 2:14 Clue 1: the toll gate at Larak Island 3:19 The southern passage along Musandam 4:08 A third road, on paper 4:51 Gate 2: the US blockade in the Gulf of Oman 6:18 Ships changing identities 6:56 The mystery solved 7:37 Who pays the bill 8:21 Three possible endings If you were the captain at Ras Laffan, what would you do: pay Iran, risk the southern coast, or wait it out? Tell us in the comments, and subscribe for more crises explained on the map.