Score:
9.5/15
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Topper’s Copy
GS2
International Relations
15 marks
"Control over strategic maritime chokepoints increasingly shapes global power politics." Examine this statement with reference to the U.S. decision to impose a 20% toll on shipping through the Strait of Hormuz and discuss its implications for global trade and India's strategic interests.
Student’s Answer
Evaluation by SuperKalam
Demand of the Question
- Examine how control over maritime chokepoints shapes global power politics
- Analyze the U.S. decision to impose 20% toll on Strait of Hormuz shipping
- Discuss implications for global trade
- Assess impact on India's strategic interests
What you wrote:
Maritime chokepoints like the Strait of Hormuz - carrying nearly 20% of global oil trade - have become instruments of geo-economic leverage, not merely transit routes.
The US move to impose a 20% toll on shipping through Hormuz illustrates how control over such passages fuses geopolitics with economics, converting freedom of navigation into a bargaining chip.
Maritime chokepoints like the Strait of Hormuz - carrying nearly 20% of global oil trade - have become instruments of geo-economic leverage, not merely transit routes.
The US move to impose a 20% toll on shipping through Hormuz illustrates how control over such passages fuses geopolitics with economics, converting freedom of navigation into a bargaining chip.
Suggestions to improve:
- Could clarify the hypothetical or actual nature of this U.S. toll decision
- Can strengthen by mentioning Iran's sovereign control over Hormuz to establish the complexity of such a unilateral decision
What you wrote:
Reshaping Global Power Politics:
Only 33 km wide at its narrowest, carries ~20% of petroleum liquids & ~1/5th of global LNG trade (EIA) (~17 million barrels/day).
US's 20% toll on shipping transiting Hormuz converts a navigational passage into a coercive economic tool, violating the spirit of UNCLOS Article 38 (right of transit passage through international straits).
Such tolls exemplify "grey-zone" statecraft asserting power without military confrontation.
This mirrors China's assertiveness over Malacca Strait (~80% of its oil imports pass) & Houthi disruptions in Bab-el-Mandeb since 2023, confirming that power competition also runs through trade chokepoints, not just battlefields.
Reshaping Global Power Politics:
Only 33 km wide at its narrowest, carries ~20% of petroleum liquids & ~1/5th of global LNG trade (EIA) (~17 million barrels/day).
US's 20% toll on shipping transiting Hormuz converts a navigational passage into a coercive economic tool, violating the spirit of UNCLOS Article 38 (right of transit passage through international straits).
Such tolls exemplify "grey-zone" statecraft asserting power without military confrontation.
This mirrors China's assertiveness over Malacca Strait (~80% of its oil imports pass) & Houthi disruptions in Bab-el-Mandeb since 2023, confirming that power competition also runs through trade chokepoints, not just battlefields.
Suggestions to improve:
- Could explain Iran's territorial sovereignty over Hormuz and how this complicates any U.S. unilateral action
- Can add examples of other chokepoint tensions like Turkey's control over Bosphorus Strait affecting Black Sea grain exports
- Could mention Russia's weaponization of energy supplies through Nord Stream pipelines as another chokepoint strategy
What you wrote:
Impact on Global Trade and Energy Security:
A toll would raise Brent crude prices, freight, war-risk insurance premiums, hurting import-dependent economies (EU, Japan, India) while setting a precedent for unilateral tolls at other chokepoints.
Impact on Global Trade and Energy Security:
A toll would raise Brent crude prices, freight, war-risk insurance premiums, hurting import-dependent economies (EU, Japan, India) while setting a precedent for unilateral tolls at other chokepoints.
Suggestions to improve:
- Could elaborate on supply chain disruptions affecting manufacturing hubs like South Korea and Japan
- Can discuss alternative route costs through Cape of Good Hope adding 15-20 days transit time
- Could mention impact on global inflation and developing economies' debt burdens
What you wrote:
Implications for India:
India imports ~85% of crude; 40% transiting Hormuz.
Responses:
SAGAR (2015) and IFC-IOR (Gurugram, 2018) for maritime domain awareness across the Indian Ocean Region.
Operation Sankalp (since 2019): Indian Navy escorts missions in Persian Gulf / Strait of Hormuz.
Chabahar Port: India's 10-year operational contract (May 2024) for Shahid Beheshti terminal, bypassing Hormuz via Iran-Central Asia route.
Strategic Petroleum Reserves (ISPRL) & crude diversification toward Russia, US, Africa.
Implications for India:
India imports ~85% of crude; 40% transiting Hormuz.
Responses:
SAGAR (2015) and IFC-IOR (Gurugram, 2018) for maritime domain awareness across the Indian Ocean Region.
Operation Sankalp (since 2019): Indian Navy escorts missions in Persian Gulf / Strait of Hormuz.
Chabahar Port: India's 10-year operational contract (May 2024) for Shahid Beheshti terminal, bypassing Hormuz via Iran-Central Asia route.
Strategic Petroleum Reserves (ISPRL) & crude diversification toward Russia, US, Africa.
Suggestions to improve:
- Could add India's participation in International Maritime Security Construct (IMSC) for collective security
- Can mention India's growing defense cooperation with UAE and Saudi Arabia for regional stability
- Could discuss India's renewable energy push reducing long-term chokepoint vulnerabilities
What you wrote:
India must deepen naval presence, energy diversification, alternate connectivity like Chabahar and INSTC to insulate itself from chokepoint-driven power politics.
India must deepen naval presence, energy diversification, alternate connectivity like Chabahar and INSTC to insulate itself from chokepoint-driven power politics.
Suggestions to improve:
- Could emphasize India's role in promoting multilateral governance of maritime commons through forums like Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA)
- Can conclude with India's vision of "Free, Open, and Inclusive Indo-Pacific" as alternative to unilateral chokepoint control
Strong analytical framework with good use of data and policy examples. However, the answer needs to address the factual complexity of the U.S.-Iran dynamic over Hormuz and provide deeper analysis of global trade implications beyond energy.
Demand of the Question
- Examine how control over maritime chokepoints shapes global power politics
- Analyze the U.S. decision to impose 20% toll on Strait of Hormuz shipping
- Discuss implications for global trade
- Assess impact on India's strategic interests
What you wrote:
Maritime chokepoints like the Strait of Hormuz - carrying nearly 20% of global oil trade - have become instruments of geo-economic leverage, not merely transit routes.
The US move to impose a 20% toll on shipping through Hormuz illustrates how control over such passages fuses geopolitics with economics, converting freedom of navigation into a bargaining chip.
Maritime chokepoints like the Strait of Hormuz - carrying nearly 20% of global oil trade - have become instruments of geo-economic leverage, not merely transit routes.
The US move to impose a 20% toll on shipping through Hormuz illustrates how control over such passages fuses geopolitics with economics, converting freedom of navigation into a bargaining chip.
Suggestions to improve:
- Could clarify the hypothetical or actual nature of this U.S. toll decision
- Can strengthen by mentioning Iran's sovereign control over Hormuz to establish the complexity of such a unilateral decision
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