The Strait of Hormuz is once again back in focus as a possible U.S. intervention in Iran raises the risk of Tehran disrupting one of the world’s most critical energy chokepoints.
U.S. President Donald Trump is considering a range of options against Iran, according to multiple media reports on Sunday, as it cracks down on domestic protests.
Industry experts cautioned that a military confrontation could provoke Iran to choke off the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow waterway that that connects the Persian Gulf and the Arabian Sea and through which nearly a third of the world’s seaborne crude flows.
“A disruption through the Strait of Hormuz could cause a global oil and gas crisis” especially when considering the “desperate and ill advised lengths the current Iranian regime may go to” should they find themselves increasingly backed into a corner with their power and lives at stake, said Saul Kavonic, head of energy research at MST Marquee.
About 13 million barrels per day of crude oil transited the Strait of Hormuz in 2025, accounting for roughly 31% of global seaborne crude flows, data provided by market intelligence firm Kpler showed. The risk of the waterway being blocked had also surfaced during the flare-up between Washington and Tehran in June last year.
