After 10 days of exchanging strikes with the US over control of the vital Strait of Hormuz waterway, Iran's leaders may appear to have three choices. The nuclear programme, meanwhile, has long been presented as a right that Iran cannot be forced to abandon. Iran does not need to defeat a stronger enemy if it can survive for longer than that enemy is willing to fight. And as time goes on, a paradox may emerge: The more Iran uses the Strait of Hormuz as a weapon, the less powerful it could become if countries find new ways to export energy and other goods out of the region. A permanently unsafe waterway encourages the world to find ways around Iran.