Strait of Hormuz as a Strategic Chokepoint

The Strait of Hormuz is a narrow waterway connecting the Persian Gulf to the Gulf of Oman, approximately 30 miles wide at its narrowest point. It is the world's single most important oil transit chokepoint: in 2025, approximately 20.9 million barrels per day (mbpd) of oil flowed through it, representing roughly 20% of global oil consumption and 27% of seaborne oil and petroleum trade. The strait is the primary export route for oil from Saudi Arabia, UAE, Kuwait, Qatar, Iraq, Bahrain, and Iran. Critically, it has no viable alternative — pipelines bypass only a fraction of the volume, and alternative sea routes add weeks of transit time.