The Strait of Hormuz /hɔːrˈmuːz/ 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 provides 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 lies Iran, and on the south coast the United Arab Emirates and Musandam, an exclave of Oman. At its narrowest, the strait has a width of 29 nautical miles (54 km).