Emerging Power Node

Strait of Hormuz

Strait of Hormuz, Persian Gulf

Mythic

The Strait of Hormuz is 33 kilometres wide at its narrowest point and carries 21 million barrels of crude oil per day — approximately 20% of global oil supply, 30% of all seaborne crude, and 25% of global LNG exports. Every barrel exported from Saudi Arabia, UAE, Kuwait, Iraq, and Iran must pass through this strait unless routed through the partially operational East-West Pipeline. There is no credible bypass for the volumes involved: the Strait of Hormuz is the single most consequential energy chokepoint on Earth. Iran controls the northern shore; Oman controls the southern. The US Fifth Fleet is based in Bahrain specifically to deter closure. Options for rerouting in the event of closure are limited: the Saudi East-West Pipeline (maximum capacity 5 million barrels/day) and the UAE Habshan-Fujairah pipeline (1.5 million barrels/day) together handle less than a third of normal transit volume.

hormuz · strait · persian-gulf · oil