Iran played its strongest card at its weakest moment. Instead of wielding Hormuz after acquiring nuclear weapons, a vast ballistic missile and drone arsenal, ICBMs, a Chinese and Russian-built military and billions in sanctions relief (the JCPOA or the no US/Israeli action trajectory), Tehran pulled the trigger too early. Now alternatives are being built to the strait, ensuring that Hormuz becomes less valuable and less available as a coercive weapon with every passing year.