Strait of Hormuz
The Strait of Hormuz is a narrow maritime chokepoint connecting the Persian Gulf to the Gulf of Oman and Arabian Sea. At its narrowest, it is only 33–34 km wide, with two unidirectional shipping lanes. In 2025, approximately 20 million barrels of oil per day transited the strait — roughly 20% of global seaborne oil trade — along with 20% of global LNG (primarily from Qatar). About 84% of crude passing through was destined for Asian markets. China received a third of its oil via the strait. The corridor is also critical for roughly one-third of global fertilizer trade and imports of food, medicine, and technology into Gulf states.
Iran IRGC [causes] 2026 Strait of Hormuz Crisis Strait of Hormuz [relates] Oil Price Impact Strait of Hormuz [relates] US Naval Blockade
The strait lies entirely within the territorial waters of Iran and Oman at its narrowest point, giving Iran a unique legal and physical lever over global energy flows. Historical precedent for closure threats includes the 1988 Tanker War (Operation Praying Mantis), the 2011–2012 dispute, and 2019 tensions. Iran signaled potential disruption before the 2026 crisis — briefly partially closing the strait as a warning — and pre-positioned itself by tripling oil exports in February to reduce storage vulnerability. War-risk insurance for the strait jumped from 0.125% to 0.2–0.4% per transit in the days before the US-Israel strikes.
Operation Epic Fury [precedes] 2026 Strait of Hormuz Crisis Strait of Hormuz [relates] UN Convention on the Law of the Sea
The strait became effectively closed on 28 February 2026, within hours of Operation Epic Fury — the coordinated US-Israeli airstrikes on Iran that killed Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. The Iran IRGC transmitted VHF radio warnings forbidding all passage, followed immediately by 21 confirmed attacks on merchant vessels and the covert laying of naval mines. Tanker traffic dropped 70% within days, then to near-zero. Major carriers including Maersk, CMA CGM, and Hapag-Lloyd suspended operations. Over 150 ships anchored outside the strait and 230 loaded oil tankers were stranded inside the Gulf by early April.
Iran IRGC [causes] Shipping Disruption Shipping Disruption [relates] Oil Price Impact Strait of Hormuz [part-of] 2026 Strait of Hormuz Crisis
Alternative routing is limited. Saudi Arabia’s East-West Crude Oil Pipeline and the UAE’s Abu Dhabi Crude Oil Pipeline together have capacity for roughly 9 million barrels/day — less than half normal transit volume — and both terminal ports (Yanbu, Fujairah) suffered drone strikes during the crisis. The Cape of Good Hope reroute adds 10–15 transit days. By 19 March, Dubai crude reached a record $166/barrel. The crisis is described by analysts as the largest disruption to global energy supply since the 1970s Energy Crisis.
Strait of Hormuz [relates] East-West Crude Oil Pipeline Cape of Good Hope [relates] Shipping Disruption Strait of Hormuz [defines] 2026 Strait of Hormuz Crisis
Connections
- 2026 Strait of Hormuz Crisis — primary subject
- Iran IRGC — closure operator
- US Naval Blockade — counter-blockade from April 13
- Oil Price Impact — direct market consequence
- Operation Epic Fury — triggering event
- Ali Khamenei — assassinated in triggering strikes