{"id":21416,"date":"2026-03-11T08:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-03-11T08:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/umang.pk\/2026\/03\/11\/how-iran-used-the-strait-of-hormuz-to-restrict-oil-and-gas-a-visual-guide-iran\/"},"modified":"2026-03-11T08:00:00","modified_gmt":"2026-03-11T08:00:00","slug":"how-iran-used-the-strait-of-hormuz-to-restrict-oil-and-gas-a-visual-guide-iran","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/umang.pk\/en_us\/2026\/03\/11\/how-iran-used-the-strait-of-hormuz-to-restrict-oil-and-gas-a-visual-guide-iran\/","title":{"rendered":"How Iran Used the Strait of Hormuz to Restrict Oil and Gas \u2013 A Visual Guide | Iran"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Global oil markets recorded their biggest price swings in history this week after the US-Israeli war on Iran blocked the flow of Middle Eastern crude through the Strait of Hormuz.<\/p>\n

The narrow waterway south of Iran is one of the world’s most important trade arteries, through which one-fifth of the world’s oil and marine gas is transported from production facilities and refineries in the Gulf to buyers around the world.<\/p>\n

The strait carries just over 20 million barrels of oil per day, making it the second busiest oil route after the Strait of Malacca between Malaysia and Indonesia. It is also the most important trade route for liquefied natural gas (LNG) cargoes transported by cryogenic tankers.<\/p>\n

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Map showing energy infrastructure in the Gulf region<\/figure>\n

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But unlike the Strait of Malacca, which transports about 23.2 million barrels a day to buyers in China, Japan and South Korea, the Strait of Hormuz is much more difficult to bypass, making it the largest gateway to the global energy system.<\/p>\n

The waterway lies beneath Iran and above Oman to the south, and is only 21 miles wide at its narrowest point. Crude oil and petroleum products produced at the refineries and production facilities of the world’s largest oil companies must pass through this passage to reach global markets.<\/p>\n

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Map showing the world’s straits<\/figure>\n

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Saudi Arabia, the UAE and other Gulf producers have built pipelines to bypass the strait, but these routes can deliver only a fraction of the region’s export capacity.<\/p>\n

Iran weaponized geographies in retaliation for U.S. and Israeli airstrikes. Hundreds of oil tankers attempting to cross the strait were halted after the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps threatened to \u201cburn\u201d all ships using the trade route, effectively stopping all but the most reckless vessels.<\/p>\n

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