West Asia war LIVE: U.S. naval blockade against Iran remains in 'full effect' even as the two sides pause airstrikes
Airstrikes between the United States and Iran have paused after a prolonged period of intensified bombing, described by regional observers as a "positive signal" toward de-escalation.
The US naval blockade of Iran, in place since mid-April 2026, remains in full effect even as air operations are paused, with continued threats of further military action.
Gulf countries have engaged in diplomatic efforts to press the pause toward a durable de-escalation, though a return to full-scale conflict has not been ruled out.
Attacks on commercial shipping in and around the Strait of Hormuz during the conflict have disrupted maritime traffic and raised global oil-supply concerns.
India has urged restraint and de-escalation from all parties and has directed shipping companies not to deploy Indian seafarers on vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz for safety reasons.
Strait of Hormuz: Geography and Strategic Chokepoint Status
The Strait of Hormuz is the narrow sea passage connecting the Persian Gulf to the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea, making it one of the world's most critical maritime chokepoints for energy trade.
Key Details
- It lies between Iran (northern coast) and Oman's Musandam Peninsula (southern coast); at its narrowest point it is about 21 nautical miles wide, with shipping lanes in each direction only about 2 nautical miles wide.
- Roughly a fifth to a quarter of global seaborne oil trade transits the strait, historically averaging around 20 million barrels per day of crude and refined products.
- Because both territorial waters bordering the strait belong to Iran and Oman, all transiting vessels rely on the "transit passage" regime rather than innocent passage.
Disruption to shipping through this exact chokepoint is why a naval blockade and attacks near the strait have outsized effects on global energy markets and directly concern India as a major oil importer.
UNCLOS Transit Passage Regime and the Legality of Naval Blockades
The right of transit passage through international straits, codified in the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), 1982, allows continuous and expeditious passage for all ships and aircraft, including military vessels, and is treated as binding customary international law even on non-parties to UNCLOS such as Iran and the United States.
Key Details
- Transit passage (UNCLOS Part III) differs from "innocent passage" in that it permits normal modes of operation, including submerged transit by submarines and overflight, and cannot be suspended by the bordering states.
- A naval blockade, by contrast, is traditionally treated as a belligerent act of war under the law of naval warfare; to be lawful it must be publicly declared, effectively enforced, and applied impartially to all flags, including neutral shipping.
- Imposing a blockade outside a declared armed conflict, or without UN Security Council authorization, risks conflicting with the UN Charter's Article 2(4) prohibition on the use or threat of force against another state's sovereignty.
The naval blockade of Iran and the parallel invocation of transit-passage rights by neutral shipping illustrate the tension between peacetime UNCLOS navigation freedoms and wartime blockade law that legal experts have flagged around this conflict.
India's Crude Oil Import Dependency on the Gulf/Strait of Hormuz
India, the world's third-largest oil consumer, imports the substantial majority of its crude requirement, with a significant share historically routed through the Strait of Hormuz from Gulf suppliers.
Key Details
- India imports around 85% of its crude oil requirement from overseas.
- Estimates place roughly one-third to half of India's total crude imports as historically linked to the Strait of Hormuz route, though India's Petroleum Ministry has stated that diversification (including increased purchases from Russia and the United States) now allows around 70% of imports to arrive via routes outside the strait.
- India maintains a Strategic Petroleum Reserve, managed by Indian Strategic Petroleum Reserves Limited (ISPRL) under the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, as a buffer against exactly this kind of supply disruption risk.
The blockade and shipping attacks near the strait are the direct real-world trigger for India's advisory against deploying Indian seafarers on Hormuz-transiting vessels and underline why India has consistently called for de-escalation.
- US naval blockade of Iran: imposed mid-April 2026, remains in effect during the current airstrike pause.
- Strait of Hormuz narrowest width: approximately 21 nautical miles; bordered by Iran and Oman.
- Share of global seaborne oil trade transiting the strait: roughly 20-25%.
- India's crude oil import dependence: approximately 85% of total requirement is imported.
- Share of India's crude imports now routed outside the Strait of Hormuz, per the Petroleum Ministry: approximately 70%.