Iran is using the strategically important Strait of Hormuz as a bargaining tool in discussions with the United States, according to an Al Jazeera report. The waterway has moved beyond being an issue between the two sides and has become a global concern, as attention increasingly focuses on reopening the strait.

Al Jazeera correspondent Ali Hashem said the opening of the Strait of Hormuz is now dominating discussions. He contrasted this with the start of the war, when the main issues were Iran’s nuclear file, missile programme, and Iranian proxies or allies in the region.

Hashem said conditions after the war will not be the same as before it and described the conflict as having reached another level. In his view, Iran has found an advantageous position through the strait. He said some analysts describe Hormuz as Iran’s “geographical nuclear bomb,” because its effective use means it can no longer be ignored.