Why The Strait Of Hormuz Is Such A Pivotal Waterway

As the U.S. war with Iran drags on, much of the focus has been on a crucial waterway: the Strait of Hormuz.

The Strait is a narrow channel that links the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman. It’s bordered by Iran from the north and Oman from the south, and it spans roughly 21 miles at its tightest point.

Due to its location, a major portion of the world’s oil produced by Persian Gulf countries – including Kuwait, Qatar and Iraq – must pass through the Strait in order to reach other destinations.

In the wake of U.S. and Israeli attacks, Iran has effectively shut down the Strait by threatening to target ships that pass through it. In doing so, it’s driven up oil prices worldwide – and ramped up economic pressure on the U.S.

Now, the Trump administration is grappling with how to navigate the closure of the Strait as its operation in Iran enters its third week.

Roughly one-fifth of the world’s oil and one-fifth of the world’s liquefied natural gas are transported via the Strait, making it one of the most important shipping lanes on the globe.

Many of these supplies typically go to countries in Asia, including China, India, Japan and South Korea.

Because the Strait has been largely closed since the start of the U.S. war on Iran, oil supplies from the Persian Gulf have been broadly stuck. Per CBS News, roughly 400 oil tankers carrying 200 million barrels of oil are among the vessels that have been stalled.

Iran has significant power over the Strait due to its proximity to the waterway. As The Guardian noted, segments of the Strait’s transit lanes are located only three to four miles from Iran’s shores, so it can swiftly deploy drones and missiles to target boats passing through them.

Shortly after the U.S. began its strikes on Iran, Iranian officials issued threats related to the Strait.

“The strait (of Hormuz) is closed. If anyone tries to pass, the heroes of the Revolutionary Guards and the regular navy will set those ships ablaze,” Ebrahim Jabari, a senior adviser to the Guards’ commander-in-chief, said on March 2, according to Reuters, which cited Iranian state media. Iran has also appeared to follow through on its threats, claiming responsibility for attacks on multiple ships that have tried to enter the Strait.

According to CNN, Iran has reportedly placed a few dozen mines in the Strait, further heightening safety concerns.

Because of these threats, shipping traffic in the Strait has slowed significantly. Typically, more than 100 ships pass through the Strait each day, according to CBS News, but that figure has dwindled to just a handful.

In recent days, Iran has signaled that it may be open to allowing non-American ships to move through the waterway. Over the weekend, Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi said that Iran had been approached by “a number of countries” about ensuring safe passage of their vessels, and noted that the decision to allow them through would be up to its military.

Trump is searching for ways to neutralize Iran’s broader threats so that shipping traffic can resume to prior levels. Although U.S. airstrikes have already hit multiple Iranian mine-laying vessels, any wholesale effort to combat Iranian attacks will be challenging, The Guardian noted. That’s due to Iran’s access to small, swift boats that it can use to lay mines, and its proximity to the waterway.

Trump has also implored other countries to send ships that could help reopen the Strait; however, so far, their response has been tepid.

If the Strait remains closed, pressure will continue to build on oil and gas markets worldwide. Trump’s threats about attacking Kharg Island again, which is home to an Iranian oil export hub, could add to these pressures.

Iran has leveraged its access to the Strait in past conflicts, though this type of closure is unprecedented, Erik Broekhuizen, a tanker researcher, told NPR. In the 1980s, Iran laid mines in the Strait during a “Tanker War” with Iraq, and damaged a supertanker, according to Bloomberg. Iranian lawmakers have also weighed closing the Strait before, including after the U.S. struck three Iranian nuclear sites last year.

According to a Wall Street Journal report published last week, Trump’s top military adviser, Gen. Dan Caine, had warned him that Iran could shut down the Strait in retaliation for U.S. attacks. Trump reportedly suggested that Tehran would surrender first and that the U.S. would be able to combat efforts to close the shipping route if the Iranians took that path.

“The Pentagon has been planning for Iran’s desperate and reckless closure of the Strait of Hormuz for decades, and it has been part of the Trump administration’s planning well before ‘Operation Epic Fury’ was ever launched,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt claimed in a statement to the publication.