(CNN)-- Political science professor at Georgetown University in Qatar, Mehran Kamrava, said Monday that the conflict between the United States and Iran has turned into a 'decisive battle over who controls the Strait of Hormuz'.

Kamrava added, in an interview with CNN: 'Iran is well aware that it cannot match the United States and Israel militarily, so it is trying to turn the conflict from a military confrontation into an economic one, and it has succeeded to some extent in that.'

He continued: 'Iran is determined to hold on to the Strait of Hormuz as a bargaining chip,' adding: 'Iran seeks to impose a kind of administrative influence over the strait, while the United States insists on undermining that influence.'

The United States had said that its strikes aim to reduce Iran's ability to attack ships in this vital waterway.

Kamrava concluded by saying: 'It all now revolves around the Strait of Hormuz.'