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:
Answer & explanation
Answer: (b) 1 and 3
The Strait of Hormuz, between Iran and Oman, is the only sea exit from the Persian Gulf to the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea. Bahrain and Qatar have coasts only on the Persian Gulf, so their ships must pass through it. Syria and Egypt lie on the Mediterranean (and Egypt also on the Red Sea), so they reach the Indian Ocean via Suez and Bab-el-Mandeb instead.
- ✓ 1. Bahrain is an island state inside the Persian Gulf, so every voyage to the Indian Ocean passes through Hormuz.
- ✗ 2. Syria's coast is on the Mediterranean; its ships reach the Indian Ocean through the Suez Canal and the Red Sea.
- ✓ 3. Qatar is a peninsula on the western shore of the Persian Gulf; its LNG and oil exports leave through Hormuz.
- ✗ 4. Egypt has Mediterranean and Red Sea coasts, so its ships sail down the Red Sea and out through Bab-el-Mandeb.
Remember · Persian Gulf states needing Hormuz: Iraq, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar (plus most of Saudi, UAE and Iranian ports). Red Sea exit = Bab-el-Mandeb.
Sources
- U.S. Energy Information Administration, The Strait of Hormuz is the world's most important oil transit chokepoint (21 Nov 2023) ↗ “The Strait of Hormuz, located between Oman and Iran, connects the Persian Gulf with the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea.”
- ROPME (Regional Organization for the Protection of the Marine Environment, UNEP Regional Seas), ROPME Sea Area ↗ · reference work “ROPME Sea Area (referred to as the Kuwait Action Plan Region in the past) is the sea area surrounded by the eight Member States of ROPME: Bahrain, I.R.Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.”
Question and answer: UPSC's provisional GS Paper I (2026, Series A) — paper ↗ · answer key ↗. Explanation: Minimalist IAS, checked 30 Sept 2026 (how we verify). ·