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What is the Strait of Hormuz?published at 10:49 British Summer Time
Frank Gardner
Security correspondent
The Strait of Hormuz is arguably the world’s most vital maritime chokepoint.
It connects the oil-rich Gulf with the Indian Ocean and it’s the channel through which roughly 20% of the world’s oil supplies flow daily as well as much of its gas.
At just 33km (20.5 miles) wide at its narrowest point, it is flanked by Iran to the north and Oman to the south.
Shipping lanes are carefully managed through a Traffic Separation Scheme that allows inbound ships to pass in one direction, outbound ships in the other, separated by a narrow median of water to avoid collisions.
The oil, gas and petrochemical products that fuel much of the world’s economies, especially China and India, pass daily through this strait.
So if Iran were to carry out its threat to close it off, it could seriously damage the global economy, driving up energy prices.
It would also choke off Iran’s own source of export revenue so it would be an act of economic self-harm.
The US Navy’s 5th Fleet, headquartered in Bahrain, patrols the strait but in wartime its vessels would be vulnerable to a massed “swarm” attack by Iranian Revolutionary Guard’s fast torpedo boats and drones.
The Royal Navy has one minesweeper in the region, HMS Middleton, currently at sea.