A prominent academic has highlighted Iran's strategic reliance on the Strait of Hormuz as a primary deterrent, suggesting it diminishes the perceived necessity for nuclear armament.
Donald Heflin, a senior fellow at Tufts University, argues that Iran's demonstrated capability to influence global energy security through this critical maritime chokepoint serves as a powerful geopolitical tool.
"Iran has shown it doesn’t need nuclear weapons as a deterrent," Heflin stated, emphasizing the nation's leverage over one of the world's most vital oil transit routes.
This perspective underscores a shift in understanding Iran's security posture, where control over a key geographical asset is viewed as a formidable alternative to nuclear proliferation in regional power dynamics.