Strait of Hormuz
The one sea exit from the Gulf for most of its oil and gas.
The basics
The Strait of Hormuz is a narrow waterway between Iran and Oman that connects the Persian Gulf to the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea. For most of the Gulf's oil and liquefied natural gas it is the only way out by sea.
Roughly a fifth of the world's oil consumption passes through it. At its narrowest the strait is about 33 km wide, and the shipping lanes in each direction are only a few kilometres across, which is why a mine, a seizure or a threat can slow traffic quickly.
Why it matters from India
India imports most of the crude oil it uses, and much of that, along with a large share of its LPG and LNG, comes from Gulf producers whose cargoes leave through the strait. Disruption here shows up in fuel prices, shipping insurance and the rupee.
Latest coverage25
Trump Declares Military Victory Over Iran After Seven Months of Conflict
Turkey Trades Farmland for Oil Pipelines as Wars Reshape Energy Routes
Iran warns it will inflict greater damage if US attacks again
Natural gas defies Strait of Hormuz crisis as U.S. supply glut insulates Henry Hub
Trump Rejects Iran's Seven-Day Ceasefire; War Could Resume After Midterms
Three Wars, One Bill: Iran Conflict and Russian Sanctions Are Squeezing Global Express Carriers—and Pushing Costs to Consumers
US and Iran Explore Phased Deal to Reopen Strait of Hormuz as 7-Day Proposal Emerges
Iran's Next Oil Weapon: A Two-Front Squeeze on Saudi Arabia
Iraq, Syria deepen bilateral ties at first Al-Zaidi–Al-Sharaa meeting
Hormuz Shuttles Keep Oil Flowing, But at a Steep Cost
Iran summons German ambassador over Merz's regional criticism
Iran War Continues to Squeeze Global Commodity Supply Even as Fighting Ebbs
Iran War Roils Oil Markets, Threatens Global Inflation as Strait of Hormuz Remains Closed
Markets Whipsaw on Dual Shocks: Iran Military Strikes Push Oil Past $100, U.S.-Canada Tariff War Escalates
Saudi Arabia shuts East-West pipeline after drone attack as Houthis seize Red Sea chokepoint
US-Iran tanker war widens Strait of Hormuz crisis, threatening oil flows and energy security
Iran Claims Strike on 10 Vessels Near Strait of Hormuz as Tit-for-Tat Strikes Escalate
Houthis Launch Heaviest Missile Strikes on Saudi Arabia Since Conflict Reignited
Vance Claims Iran's Hormuz Control 'Effectively Gone' as Strait Remains Contested
Saudi Arabia Loses Its Last Oil Escape Route as Houthis Squeeze Red Sea
Iran offers to return to June ceasefire if U.S. reciprocates—after new exchange of fire
Tanker Hit in Hormuz as US and Iran Resume Strikes After Ceasefire Fractures
Maritime Chokepoint Battles Could Reshape Middle East Power Map
Weekend Hormuz traffic drops below 20 vessels as dual blockades tighten
Trump Declares Military Victory Over Iran After Seven Months of Conflict
MoveTrump's move is a power play to extract maximum concessions from Iran before entering a final deal.
Turkey Trades Farmland for Oil Pipelines as Wars Reshape Energy Routes
MoveTurkey is betting that Hormuz will remain disrupted long enough to make Ceyhan into a permanent, indispensable chokepoi…
Iran warns it will inflict greater damage if US attacks again
MoveThis is Trump's move: he is rejecting a diplomatic off-ramp precisely when Iran—weakened by blockade, currency collapse…
Natural gas defies Strait of Hormuz crisis as U.S. supply glut insulates Henry Hub
MoveThe U.S.
Trump Rejects Iran's Seven-Day Ceasefire; War Could Resume After Midterms
MoveTrump's rejection is a gambit that economic leverage plus military control of the strait will force Iran to accept wors…
Three Wars, One Bill: Iran Conflict and Russian Sanctions Are Squeezing Global Express Carriers—and Pushing Costs to Consumers
MoveThe squeeze on express carriers is not a tactical play but a structural bet on prolonged geopolitical fragmentation.
US and Iran Explore Phased Deal to Reopen Strait of Hormuz as 7-Day Proposal Emerges
MoveIran is betting that economic desperation will force the US to negotiate before the damage becomes irreversible, offeri…
Iran's Next Oil Weapon: A Two-Front Squeeze on Saudi Arabia
MoveThis is Tehran's play: recognition that single-front pressure on Hormuz, while devastating, has not moved US policy.
Iraq, Syria deepen bilateral ties at first Al-Zaidi–Al-Sharaa meeting
MoveThis is a US strategic play to consolidate influence in both Iraq and Syria simultaneously, using economic interdepende…
Hormuz Shuttles Keep Oil Flowing, But at a Steep Cost
MoveThe shuttle system is a tactical workaround, not a strategic solution.
Iran summons German ambassador over Merz's regional criticism
MoveIran is using formal diplomatic escalation to signal that international criticism of its regional and nuclear policies…
Iran War Continues to Squeeze Global Commodity Supply Even as Fighting Ebbs
MoveIran's strategy is to hold the Strait of Hormuz hostage as leverage in negotiations over nuclear programs, sanctions re…
Iran War Roils Oil Markets, Threatens Global Inflation as Strait of Hormuz Remains Closed
MoveIran's strategy appears to be reasserting control over the Strait of Hormuz through a combination of military threat an…
Markets Whipsaw on Dual Shocks: Iran Military Strikes Push Oil Past $100, U.S.-Canada Tariff War Escalates
MoveThis is a two-theater crisis for the Trump administration—one it did not engineer, one it chose.
Saudi Arabia shuts East-West pipeline after drone attack as Houthis seize Red Sea chokepoint
MoveThis appears to be a coordinated or synchronized move by Iranian-backed actors: Iraqi militias strike Saudi's land-base…
US-Iran tanker war widens Strait of Hormuz crisis, threatening oil flows and energy security
MoveIran's play is strategic leverage masquerading as closure.
Iran Claims Strike on 10 Vessels Near Strait of Hormuz as Tit-for-Tat Strikes Escalate
MoveIran is testing whether the Trump administration will accept a stalemate over control of the Strait—accepting Iran's cl…
Houthis Launch Heaviest Missile Strikes on Saudi Arabia Since Conflict Reignited
MoveThe Houthis' escalation is a calculated play for leverage on two boards simultaneously.
Vance Claims Iran's Hormuz Control 'Effectively Gone' as Strait Remains Contested
MoveVance's statement is a tactical rhetorical move, not a strategic claim.
Saudi Arabia Loses Its Last Oil Escape Route as Houthis Squeeze Red Sea
MoveIran and its Houthi allies appear to be executing a coordinated squeeze.
Iran offers to return to June ceasefire if U.S. reciprocates—after new exchange of fire
MovePezeshkian is signaling a willingness to de-escalate while Pezeshkian retains domestic political flexibility.
Tanker Hit in Hormuz as US and Iran Resume Strikes After Ceasefire Fractures
MoveThis appears to be Iran's deliberate test of whether the Trump administration will maintain its stated pivot to economi…
Maritime Chokepoint Battles Could Reshape Middle East Power Map
MoveIran's strategic bet is that controlling Hormuz establishes permanent leverage even in a post-war settlement, while the…
Weekend Hormuz traffic drops below 20 vessels as dual blockades tighten
MoveThis is stalemate calculus.
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