The Strait of Hormuz /hɔrˈmuːz/ Persian: تنگه هرمز‎ Tangeh-ye Hormoz  listen , Arabic: مَضيق هُرمُز‎ Maḍīq Hurmuz) is a strait between the Gulf of Oman and the Persian Gulf. It is the only sea passage from the Persian Gulf to the open ocean and is one of the world's most strategically important choke points. On the north coast is Iran, and on the south coast is the United Arab Emirates and Musandam, an exclave of Oman.