Moscow: Russia needs to create a railway route to the Indian Ocean to reduce dependence on strategically sensitive maritime chokepoints like the Strait of Hormuz and the Bosphorus Strait, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Marat Khusnullin has said. A rail link to the Indian Ocean should also be explored. Risks related to the Bosphorus and the Strait of Hormuz might require alternative routes through Turkmenistan, Iran, Afghanistan, and Pakistan. While the Strait of Hormuz connects the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman, the Bosphorus Strait connects the Black Sea to the Sea of Marmara. Turkiye, which controls the Bosphorus Strait, has said it remains open amid heightened concerns.