Strait of Hormuz
Geography and Strategic Significance
The Strait of Hormuz is a narrow waterway connecting the Persian Gulf to the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea. It is bounded by Iran to the north and Oman and the UAE to the south. At its narrowest navigable point, the strait is approximately 21 miles wide, with shipping lanes of only 2 miles in each direction separated by a 2-mile buffer zone. It is the world's single most important oil transit chokepoint, with no alternative sea route from the Persian Gulf to the open ocean.
- Length: approximately 167 km; width: narrows to 33 km at its narrowest point
- Depth: 60–100 metres — sufficient for large tankers but constrained for military manoeuvre
- Oil transit in 2024: over 25% of total global seaborne oil trade and approximately one-fifth of global oil and petroleum product consumption
- LNG transit: approximately one-fifth of global LNG trade (2024), primarily from Qatar
- Saudi Arabia accounts for 38% of total Hormuz crude flows (approximately 5.5 million barrels/day)
- Comparable chokepoints: Strait of Malacca (Southeast Asia), Bab-el-Mandeb (Red Sea), Suez Canal (Egypt), Danish Straits (Baltic)
● Tracked since June 28, 2026 · last seen August 30, 2026 · updates as the daily brief publishes
27 Aug '26
Iran, Qatar hold Hormuz talks as U.S. blockade chokes Iran oil imports
International Relations
25 Aug '26
Pakistan, Iran explore reopening Strait of Hormuz, easing West Asia tensions
International Relations
22 Aug '26
West Asia LIVE: Trump says Iran not ready to make the 'right deal'
International Relations
18 Aug '26
Iran fired two ballistic missiles at territory: UAE Defence Ministry
International Relations
15 Aug '26
Iran fires back at Trump's threat to declare Hormuz a U.S. territory
International Relations
08 Aug '26
UAE says Iran targeted tanker as Oman cites progress in Hormuz talks
International Relations
Plus 496 earlier mentions since June 28, 2026.
International Relations
UNCLOS and the Right of Transit Passage
International Relations
India's Energy Security Architecture
International Relations
India's Strategic Petroleum Reserves (SPR)
International Relations
Energy Security
International Relations
India's Energy Security
International Relations
Freedom of Navigation and International Maritime Law
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