17/08/2026
The Strait of Hormuz
The Strait of Hormuz is one of the world’s most strategically important maritime chokepoints. The narrow waterway, at its narrowest point about 33km (21 miles) wide, connects the oil- and gas-rich Gulf to the rest of the world.
Before the war, roughly 20 million barrels of oil and petroleum products passed through the strait each day – about one-fifth of global oil consumption – making any disruption to shipping a major concern for global energy markets and trade.
