Why the Strait of Hormuz matters so much in the Iran war

Iran has effectively blocked the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s busiest oil shipping channels, since the US and Israel attacked the country on 28 February.

About 20% of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas (LNG) usually passes through the strait and the war has sent global fuel prices soaring.

What and where is the Strait of Hormuz?

Bounded to the north by Iran and to the south by Oman and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the corridor – only about 50km (31 miles) wide at its entrance and exit, and about 33km wide at its narrowest point – connects the Gulf with the Arabian Sea.

The strait is deep enough for the world’s biggest crude oil tankers, and is used by major Middle Eastern oil and LNG producers, as well as their customers.

In 2025, about 20 million barrels of oil and oil products passed through the Strait of Hormuz per day, according to estimates from the US Energy Information Administration (EIA). That is nearly $600bn (£447bn) worth of energy trade per year.

The oil comes not only from Iran but other Gulf states such as Iraq, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE.