UPSC Prelims Practice Questions — Cowardly bully
Q1. The shipping lanes of the Strait of Hormuz, though lying within the territorial waters of Iran and Oman, are regulated primarily under which one of the following international legal frameworks?
- A. The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS)
- B. The Montreux Convention
- C. The Barcelona Convention
- D. The Chicago Convention
Q2. Which one of the following best explains why the Strait of Hormuz is regarded as the single most critical oil chokepoint in the world, in contrast to the Strait of Malacca?
- A. It is the only maritime outlet from the Persian Gulf, and its traffic cannot be rerouted to alternative sea lanes
- B. It is the narrowest navigable strait in the world
- C. It is the only major strait controlled entirely by a single country
- D. It carries predominantly container rather than tanker traffic
Q3. With reference to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) and its aftermath, consider the following statements:
1. The P5+1 group that negotiated the JCPOA comprised the five permanent members of the UN Security Council together with Germany.
2. The agreement was concluded in 2015, and the United States unilaterally withdrew from it in 2018.
3. Following the US withdrawal, Iran's stockpile of enriched uranium fell well below the limits permitted under the JCPOA.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- The P5+1 group that negotiated the JCPOA comprised the five permanent members of the UN Security Council together with Germany.
- The agreement was concluded in 2015, and the United States unilaterally withdrew from it in 2018.
- Following the US withdrawal, Iran's stockpile of enriched uranium fell well below the limits permitted under the JCPOA.
- A. 1 and 2 only
- B. 1 and 3 only
- C. 2 and 3 only
- D. 1, 2 and 3
Q4. Under the 2015 JCPOA, Iran's uranium enrichment was capped at which one of the following maximum purity levels?
- A. 3.67 percent
- B. 5 percent
- C. 20 percent
- D. 90 percent
Q5. Operation Epic Fury, the military campaign launched on 28 February 2026 against Iran's nuclear and military infrastructure, was jointly conducted by the armed forces of which of the following?
- A. The United States and Israel
- B. The United States and Saudi Arabia
- C. NATO and Israel
- D. The United States and the United Kingdom
Q6. Consider the following statements about the 2026 Iran war and its antecedents:
1. Operation Epic Fury commenced on 28 February 2026, and its first wave of strikes killed Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
2. The memorandum that ended the war was signed in June 2026 by US President Trump and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian.
3. The 2026 war was preceded by a 12-day air conflict between Israel and Iran in June 2024.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- Operation Epic Fury commenced on 28 February 2026, and its first wave of strikes killed Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
- The memorandum that ended the war was signed in June 2026 by US President Trump and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian.
- The 2026 war was preceded by a 12-day air conflict between Israel and Iran in June 2024.
- A. 1 and 2 only
- B. 1 and 3 only
- C. 2 and 3 only
- D. 1, 2 and 3