Closing Strait of Hormuz could backfire on Iran

The war between Israel and Iran has raised concerns that Iran could retaliate by trying to close the Strait of Hormuz, the world’s most important oil chokepoint due to the large volumes of crude that pass through it every day.

- 

The US military’s strike on three sites in Iran over the weekend has raised questions about how its military might respond.

The Strait of Hormuz is between Oman and Iran, which boasts a fleet of fast-attack boats and thousands of naval mines as well as missiles that it could use to make the strait impassable, at least for a time.

Iran’s main naval base at Bandar Abbas is on the north coast of the strait. It could also fire missiles from its long Persian Gulf shore, as its allies, Yemen’s Houthi rebels, have done in the Red Sea.

About 20 million barrels of oil per day, or around 20 per cent of the world’s oil consumption, passed through the strait in 2024. Most of that oil goes to Asia.

Here is a look at the waterway and its impact on the global economy:

An energy highway in a volatile region

The strait connects the Persian Gulf with the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea. It’s only 33 kms wide at its narrowest point, but deep enough and wide enough to handle the world’s largest crude oil tankers.