As President Donald Trump works to resolve the Iran peace agreement and press for the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, Esmail Qaani, the commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Quds Force, has threatened to widen the conflict to the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden. The importance of strategic maritime chokepoints becomes ever more significant, and the United States should safeguard its commercial sea lanes by recognizing the Republic of Somaliland.

Three major maritime chokepoints command a disproportionate amount of world commerce. The Strait of Hormuz and the Malacca Strait through Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore are responsible for a disproportionate amount of all global seaborne trade.