UPSC Prelims 2026Question 30International Relations

Ships from which of the following countries have to cross the Strait of Hormuz to reach out to the Indian Ocean ?
1. Bahrain
2. Syria
3. Qatar
4. Egypt
Select the answer using the code given below:

Options

(a)1 and 2
(b)1 and 3
(c)2 and 3
(d)3 and 4

Correct answer: b

Decision rule

Only Persian Gulf littorals must transit Hormuz; Mediterranean and Red Sea states reach the Indian Ocean by other routes entirely.

Explanation

Correct Answer

(b) 1 and 3

Explanation of the Correct Answer

The Strait of Hormuz connects the Persian Gulf with the Gulf of Oman, which further opens into the Arabian Sea and Indian Ocean.

Therefore, ships from countries located inside the Persian Gulf have to cross the Strait of Hormuz to reach the Indian Ocean.

Among the given countries:

Country	Location	Need to Cross Strait of Hormuz to Reach Indian Ocean?
Bahrain	Persian Gulf	Yes
Syria	Eastern Mediterranean Sea	No
Qatar	Persian Gulf	Yes
Egypt	Mediterranean Sea and Red Sea region	No

Hence, Bahrain and Qatar are the correct answers.

Why Other Options Are Incorrect

Option	Countries Included	Verdict	Explanation
(a) 1 and 2	Bahrain and Syria	Incorrect	Bahrain needs to cross Hormuz, but Syria does not. Syria opens into the Mediterranean Sea.
(b) 1 and 3	Bahrain and Qatar	Correct	Both Bahrain and Qatar are located in the Persian Gulf and must cross the Strait of Hormuz to reach the Indian Ocean.
(c) 2 and 3	Syria and Qatar	Incorrect	Qatar needs to cross Hormuz, but Syria does not.
(d) 3 and 4	Qatar and Egypt	Incorrect	Qatar needs to cross Hormuz, but Egypt does not. Egypt has access through the Red Sea and the Suez Canal region.

Relevant Supplementary Information

Countries Around the Persian Gulf

Country	Position in Relation to Persian Gulf	Strait of Hormuz Relevance
Iran	Northern and eastern side of Persian Gulf	Controls northern side of Strait of Hormuz
Oman	Southern side near the strait	Controls part of the strait through Musandam Peninsula
UAE	Southern Persian Gulf	Uses Strait of Hormuz for access to Arabian Sea
Qatar	Projects into Persian Gulf	Must cross Strait of Hormuz to reach Indian Ocean
Bahrain	Island country in Persian Gulf	Must cross Strait of Hormuz to reach Indian Ocean
Saudi Arabia	Western Persian Gulf coast	Eastern ports use Strait of Hormuz
Kuwait	Northwestern Persian Gulf	Must cross Strait of Hormuz
Iraq	Northern end of Persian Gulf	Must cross Strait of Hormuz

Important Straits and Their Locations

Strait	Connects	Strategic Importance
Strait of Hormuz	Persian Gulf and Gulf of Oman	Major oil and gas transit chokepoint
Bab-el-Mandeb	Red Sea and Gulf of Aden	Links Red Sea to Arabian Sea route
Strait of Malacca	Andaman Sea and South China Sea	Key route between Indian Ocean and Pacific Ocean
Suez Canal	Mediterranean Sea and Red Sea	Connects Europe with Indian Ocean route
Bosporus Strait	Black Sea and Sea of Marmara	Important for Black Sea access
Dardanelles Strait	Sea of Marmara and Aegean Sea	Connects Black Sea route to Mediterranean

Key Takeaways from the Tables

Strait of Hormuz is relevant only for countries located inside the Persian Gulf.
Bahrain and Qatar lie inside the Persian Gulf; hence, their ships must cross Hormuz to enter the Indian Ocean.
Syria is a Mediterranean country and does not use Hormuz.
Egypt is linked to the Mediterranean and Red Sea route, not the Persian Gulf route.
For map-based questions, identify whether the country lies inside the Persian Gulf, Mediterranean Sea, Red Sea, or Arabian Sea region.

Key Point	Explanation
Hormuz is the exit gate of the Persian Gulf	Countries located inside the Persian Gulf usually need it to reach the Indian Ocean.
Bahrain and Qatar are classic examples	Both lie within the Persian Gulf and must cross Hormuz to reach the Arabian Sea.
Syria and Egypt do not need Hormuz	They are linked to the Mediterranean/Red Sea routes, not the Persian Gulf route.
Some countries depend on port location	UAE, Iran, Saudi Arabia and Oman have different coastal positions, so dependence varies by port.
Map logic is crucial	First identify the water body touching the country: Persian Gulf, Red Sea, Mediterranean Sea, or Arabian Sea.

Context and Current Relevance

The Strait of Hormuz is one of the world’s most important maritime chokepoints because a large share of global oil and LNG trade passes through it.
It is especially important for Gulf countries such as Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, Iraq, UAE, and eastern Saudi Arabia.
Any disruption in this strait can affect global energy prices and maritime security.

Table: Important Maritime Chokepoints and Countries That Depend on Them

Maritime Chokepoint	Connects	Countries / Regions Most Directly Dependent	Why Important
Strait of Hormuz	Persian Gulf with Gulf of Oman	Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait, Iraq, UAE, eastern Saudi Arabia, Iran	Main exit route from the Persian Gulf to the Arabian Sea and Indian Ocean
Bab-el-Mandeb Strait	Red Sea with Gulf of Aden	Yemen, Djibouti, Eritrea, ships from Suez route	Vital link between the Mediterranean–Suez route and the Indian Ocean
Suez Canal	Mediterranean Sea with Red Sea	Egypt, Europe–Asia trade route users	Shortest sea route between Europe and the Indian Ocean region
Strait of Malacca	Andaman Sea with South China Sea	Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, China, Japan, South Korea	Key route between the Indian Ocean and Pacific Ocean
Lombok Strait	Java Sea with Indian Ocean	Indonesia, Australia–East Asia routes	Alternative to Malacca Strait for larger ships
Sunda Strait	Java Sea with Indian Ocean	Indonesia and regional shipping	Another alternative route between Indian Ocean and Southeast Asia
Bosporus Strait	Black Sea with Sea of Marmara	Russia, Ukraine, Georgia, Bulgaria, Romania, Turkey	Essential outlet from the Black Sea to the Mediterranean route
Dardanelles Strait	Sea of Marmara with Aegean Sea	Black Sea countries and Turkey	Completes the Black Sea–Mediterranean maritime passage
Gibraltar Strait	Atlantic Ocean with Mediterranean Sea	Spain, Morocco, Mediterranean countries	Entry point between Atlantic and Mediterranean
Panama Canal	Atlantic Ocean with Pacific Ocean	USA, Latin America, global shipping	Shortens the route between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans
Mozambique Channel	Indian Ocean between Mozambique and Madagascar	East African coast, Madagascar, southern Indian Ocean shipping	Important route around southern Africa
Taiwan Strait	East China Sea with South China Sea	China, Taiwan, Japan, South Korea, global electronics trade	Major route in East Asian maritime trade

Table: Countries and Their Likely Maritime Exit Route to the Indian Ocean

Country	Sea / Gulf Location	Main Route Toward Indian Ocean	Needs Strait of Hormuz?
Bahrain	Persian Gulf	Persian Gulf → Strait of Hormuz → Gulf of Oman → Arabian Sea	Yes
Qatar	Persian Gulf	Persian Gulf → Strait of Hormuz → Gulf of Oman → Arabian Sea	Yes
Kuwait	Persian Gulf	Persian Gulf → Strait of Hormuz → Gulf of Oman → Arabian Sea	Yes
Iraq	Persian Gulf through Shatt al-Arab	Persian Gulf → Strait of Hormuz → Gulf of Oman → Arabian Sea	Yes
UAE	Persian Gulf and Gulf of Oman coast	Persian Gulf ports use Hormuz; Fujairah has direct Gulf of Oman access	Mostly yes, except Gulf of Oman coast
Iran	Persian Gulf and Gulf of Oman coast	Persian Gulf ports use Hormuz; Gulf of Oman ports do not	Depends on port
Saudi Arabia	Persian Gulf and Red Sea coast	Eastern ports use Hormuz; western ports use Red Sea route	Depends on coast
Oman	Gulf of Oman and Arabian Sea	Direct access to Arabian Sea from many ports	Not necessarily
Syria	Mediterranean Sea	Mediterranean → Suez Canal → Red Sea → Bab-el-Mandeb → Arabian Sea	No
Egypt	Mediterranean Sea and Red Sea	Red Sea → Bab-el-Mandeb → Gulf of Aden → Arabian Sea	No

Table: Persian Gulf Countries and Strait of Hormuz Dependence

Country	Persian Gulf Coast?	Dependence on Strait of Hormuz	Reason
Bahrain	Yes	Very high	Island country inside the Persian Gulf
Qatar	Yes	Very high	Peninsula projecting into the Persian Gulf
Kuwait	Yes	Very high	Located at the northwestern end of the Persian Gulf
Iraq	Yes, limited coastline	Very high	Only sea outlet opens into the Persian Gulf
UAE	Yes	High	Major ports like Jebel Ali are inside the Persian Gulf; Fujairah is an exception
Iran	Yes	High for Persian Gulf ports	Iran also has ports on the Gulf of Oman beyond Hormuz
Saudi Arabia	Yes, on eastern side	High for eastern oil ports	Western ports use the Red Sea route instead
Oman	Near the strait, Gulf of Oman/Arabian Sea side	Partial	Oman controls part of the strait but also has direct Arabian Sea access

Quick Memory List

Route / Region	Chokepoint to Remember
Persian Gulf to Indian Ocean	Strait of Hormuz
Red Sea to Arabian Sea	Bab-el-Mandeb
Mediterranean to Red Sea	Suez Canal
Indian Ocean to South China Sea	Strait of Malacca
Black Sea to Mediterranean route	Bosporus and Dardanelles
Atlantic to Mediterranean	Strait of Gibraltar
Atlantic to Pacific	Panama Canal

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Ships from which of the following countries have to cross the Strait of Hormuz to reach out to the Indian Ocean ?1. Bahrain2. Syria3. Qatar4. EgyptSelect the answer using the code given below: