Center for Strategic and International Studies | Yu-Hsuan Yeh, Bonny Lin, Jane Nakano
The war in the Middle East and the de facto closure of the Strait of Hormuz have significantly heightened energy security concerns across Asia, particularly for Taiwan, which faces a unique and precarious reliance on imported energy. Taiwan's extreme dependence on seaborne energy imports, with approximately 85 percent of East Asia's crude oil transiting the Strait of Hormuz, renders it highly vulnerable to disruptions in global shipping lanes. The ongoing Iran conflict, by demonstrating the potential for critical chokepoints to be compromised, underscores Taiwan's inherent strategic fragility. This situation compels Taipei to re-evaluate its energy diversification strategies, emergency stockpiles, and resilience against potential blockades, especially given the persistent threat of a Chinese invasion or naval interdiction. The strategic lessons from the Middle East are directly applicable to Taiwan's own geopolitical context, where a similar disruption could be engineered by Beijing. This necessitates robust international cooperation and domestic policy adjustments to mitigate catastrophic economic and societal impacts from energy supply interruptions, reinforcing the urgency for Taiwan to bolster its strategic reserves and alternative supply routes.
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