Who owns the sea? Pieter Zhao on the Strait of Hormuz and historical naval blockades

Pieter Zhao examines how so-called non-military and irregular actors have shaped maritime warfare and security throughout history, and how historical perspectives can contribute to contemporary debates on maritime security and strategy. In the podcast, he explains how so-called chokepoints, such as the Strait of Hormuz, have been a source of conflict between states for centuries. “The politics surrounding maritime chokepoints is not a modern invention; it is probably as old as maritime trade itself.”

From Mare Liberum to UNCLOS

In the podcast, Zhao explains that the idea of free trade at sea – from Hugo Grotius’s Mare Liberum to UNCLOS (the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea) – is increasingly under pressure. He argues that the conflict over the Strait of Hormuz acts as a mirror, raising questions that states have been grappling with for so long: who controls access to the sea? Under what conditions and at what cost?

According to Zhao, history offers the perspectives needed to understand what is happening. Due to the speed of the news cycle, we easily lose sight of the fact that the issues we see playing out today – concerning blockades, bottlenecks and the freedom of the seas – are not new. States have been debating them for centuries, and are all trying to find ways to deal with them.

Maritime Museum

To offer these perspectives, the Maritime Museum in Rotterdam, in collaboration with the Rotterdam Centre for Modern Maritime History at Erasmus University, is organising two exhibitions. In The Strait of Hormuz: Crossroads of Trade and Power and Locked, the museum provides an overview of the complex situation in the Strait of Hormuz and explores the history of naval blockades. The exhibitions will run until 30 November 2026.

Listen to the podcast with Pieter Zhao here

Visit the website of Maritime Museum for information on the exhibitions