Why is the Strait of Hormuz off Iran so essential? | EUROtoday

Iran on Tuesday introduced it might partially shut the Strait of Hormuz on the mouth of the Persian Gulf, a essential waterway for the world’s oil commerce.

Iranian state tv framed the closure as a “security” measure attributable to army drills by the nation’s Revolutionary Guards, which started a day earlier.

It was unclear how lengthy the partial closure would final. The Associated Press reported that the curbs would final a number of hours.

Iran has repeatedly threatened to shut the strait, signalling that it may possibly disrupt the important thing maritime artery that carries a fifth of the world’s oil.

The curbs come as Iranian and US negotiators on Tuesday maintain their second spherical of talks about Iran’s nuclear program in Geneva.

The US has ramped up its army presence within the Middle East in latest weeks to strain the Islamic Republic over its nuclear ambitions and the bloody crackdown on anti-government protests.

What’s the present state of affairs within the strait?

The Strait of Hormuz is a key waterway that lies between Oman and Iran, and connects the Persian Gulf with the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea.

The US Energy Information Administration (EIA) describes it because the “world’s most important oil transit chokepoint.”

At its narrowest level, the waterway is simply 33 kilometers (21 miles) vast, with the transport lane simply 2 miles vast in both course, making it crowded and threatening.

Large volumes of crude extracted by OPEC international locations like Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait and Iraq from oil fields throughout the Persian Gulf area and consumed globally movement by means of the strait.

Around 20 million barrels of crude, condensate and fuels are estimated to movement through the waterway day by day, in accordance with knowledge from Vortexa, an vitality and freight market advisor.

Qatar, one of many world’s largest producers of liquefied pure fuel (LNG), depends closely on the strait to ship its LNG exports.

Shipowners more and more cautious of utilizing Strait of Hormuz

Last yr’s battle between Israel and Iran put renewed concentrate on safety within the waterway.

In the previous, Iran has threatened to shut the Strait of Hormuz for site visitors in retaliation for Western strain.

During the 12-day conflict in June, nevertheless, there weren’t any main assaults on business transport within the area.

But shipowners stay cautious of utilizing the waterway and a few vessels tightened safety whereas others canceled routes there through the battle, the AP information company reported.

Electronic interference with business ship navigation programs surged across the waterway and the broader Gulf throughout final yr’s confrontation, naval sources advised Reuters information company.

Any lasting blockade or disruptions to grease flows might set off a pointy spike in crude costs and hit vitality importers exhausting, significantly in Asia.

Who might be most affected in case of provide disruption?

The EIA estimates that 82% of crude and different gas shipments that traversed the strait went to Asian customers.

China, India, Japan and South Korea had been the highest locations with these 4 international locations, collectively accounting for practically 70% of all crude oil and condensate flows that traversed the strait.

These markets would possible be most affected by provide disruptions.

How will a closure have an effect on Iran and Gulf states?

If Iran had been to take concrete motion to totally shut the strait, it might doubtlessly draw army intervention from the US.

An extended-term closure might additionally jeopardize Tehran’s ties with Gulf Arab states like Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates — international locations with which Iran has painstakingly improved relations lately.

Moreover, Tehran itself depends on the Strait of Hormuz to ship oil to its export companions, making it counterproductive to shut the strait, say specialists.

“Iran’s economy heavily relies on the free passage of goods and vessels through the seaway, as its oil exports are entirely sea-based,” Reuters cited JP Morgan analysts Natasha Kaneva, Prateek Kedia and Lyuba Savinova as saying through the battle. “Cutting off the Strait of Hormuz would be counterproductive to Iran’s relationship with its sole oil customer, China.”

Are there alternate options to the Strait of Hormuz?

Gulf Arab nations like Saudi Arabia and the UAE have sought different routes to bypass the strait lately.

Both international locations have arrange infrastructure to move a few of their crude through different routes.

Saudi Arabia, as an example, operates the East-West Crude Oil Pipeline with a capability of 5 million barrels per day, whereas the UAE has a pipeline linking its onshore oil fields to the Fujairah export terminal on the Gulf of Oman.

The EIA estimates that round 2.6 million barrels of crude per day might be obtainable to bypass the Strait of Hormuz within the occasion of disruptions within the waterway.

Edited by: Uwe Hessler

Editor’s be aware: This article was first revealed on June 18, 2025, and up to date on February 17, 2026, to mirror Iran’s transfer to partially shut the strait throughout army drills.