Mariel Ferragamo
Escalating tensions between the United States and Iran have raised the specter of imminent conflict, with one of the warning signs emerging in the Strait of Hormuz. Open-source air traffic radar data showed dozens of U.S. fighter jets positioning near Iran last week, while Iran had partially closed the strait during talks with the United States.
The strait is a crucial choke point in the global oil trade. The U.S. government estimates that roughly one-fifth of the world’s crude oil and a quarter of the world’s liquified natural gas is shipped through the Strait of Hormuz, which is 21 miles wide at its narrowest point and abuts southern Iran. Gulf countries, which rely on unimpeded travel through the strait to access world oil markets, would see their access severely curtailed in the event of a major regional conflict.
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