What happens if Hormuz shuts down?

Описание: Until this year, about a fifth of the world's oil sailed through the Strait of Hormuz, a gap between Iran and Oman that is 39 km wide at its narrowest.

Tankers use two lanes, each under 4 km wide. About 20 million barrels a day came from Saudi Arabia, Iraq, the UAE, Kuwait, Qatar and Iran, and most of it went to Asia. Pipelines around the strait could carry only about an eighth of that. On 28 February 2026 the United States and Israel struck Iran. Iran's Revolutionary Guard warned ships away, and tanker traffic almost stopped. Within two weeks, oil passed $100 a barrel. Eight months later, it still isn't settled.

Sources: US Energy Information Administration (EIA), Reuters, the Associated Press. Width: 21 nautical miles, between Larak Island (Iran) and Great Quoin Island (Oman).
Map: NASA Blue Marble, Natural Earth. Shipping lanes and pipelines drawn schematically.

The Strait of Hormuz is a 39 km wide passage that handles 20 million barrels of oil daily. A look at how this critical oil route could be paralyzed by a single conflict.

Connecting the Persian Gulf to the open ocean, the Strait of Hormuz is essential for global energy stability. This video examines the narrow lanes used by tankers and the reliance on existing pipelines as a hedge against regional instability. By analyzing the geography of these waters, we can better understand the precarious nature of international maritime security.

On February 28, 2026, a simulated escalation involving US and Israeli strikes against Iran highlights the vulnerability of the region. We look at how such events ripple through global markets and the broader implications for modern geopolitics.

Sources: Encyclopaedia Britannica, Natural Earth, NASA Blue Marble.

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