Iran threatens to shut Strait of Hormuz, risking global oil supply

Tehran’s move could block one-fifth of global oil trade as tensions escalate over U.S. strikes on nuclear facilities.

By David Brummer, World Israel News

Iran’s parliament has approved a motion to shut the Strait of Hormuz, a critical maritime chokepoint through which roughly 20% of the world’s oil supply passes each day, the New York Post reported Sunday.

The decision, which still awaits final approval from Iran’s Supreme Council, could significantly disrupt global energy markets and escalate tensions in the Gulf region.

Iranian state media said the Supreme Council would decide on the measure by Sunday night.

If enacted, the move would halt approximately $1 billion in daily oil shipments and is expected to send global oil prices soaring.

The proposed closure follows a series of Israeli and U.S. strikes on Iranian nuclear and military infrastructure in recent days.

Speaking on state television, Revolutionary Guards Commander Esmail Kosari warned that Iran’s response “will be done whenever necessary,” signaling the closure could mark a major escalation in the ongoing conflict.

The Strait of Hormuz connects the Persian Gulf to the Gulf of Oman and is one of the world’s most strategically sensitive waterways.

At its narrowest, the strait is just 20 miles wide, with usable shipping lanes in each direction only two miles across — a vulnerability that has made it a repeated flashpoint in past conflicts.

The channel is also shallow and easily mined, adding to concerns about its security.

The vast majority of oil exports from key producers including Saudi Arabia, Iraq, the UAE and Qatar pass through the strait.

A shutdown would disproportionately affect major importers such as China, India, Japan, and South Korea — especially China, which is the largest buyer of Iranian oil and a key Tehran ally at the UN.

Despite the vote, international law does not grant Iran the authority to unilaterally close the strait, which is considered an international waterway.

Any attempt to enforce a blockade would likely draw a military response.

The U.S. Fifth Fleet, based in Bahrain, maintains a constant naval presence in the region alongside allied vessels from European and Asian countries.

The move also threatens to backfire economically on Iran.

Tehran relies heavily on the strait to export its own crude, and closing the waterway would cut off one of its few remaining lifelines amid international sanctions.

This is not the first time Iran has sought to assert control over the strait.

In April 2023, Iranian forces seized an Israel-linked container ship and, days later, a U.S.-bound tanker, citing maritime violations.

In 2022, Iran held two Greek tankers for six months in apparent retaliation for the seizure of its oil by Greek and American authorities.

The threat also comes amid broader regional instability.

On the other side of the Arabian Peninsula, Houthi rebels in Yemen — aligned with Iran — have previously disrupted shipping through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait leading to the Red Sea.

Missile and drone attacks have forced shipping companies to reroute around Africa, cutting Red Sea traffic by 70% in June compared to 2022 and 2023, according to Clarkson Research Services.

If the Hormuz closure proceeds, global shipping could face a dual crisis, with both the Red Sea and the Persian Gulf effectively choked off.

That would force more vessels to make the costly and time-consuming detour around the Cape of Good Hope — potentially triggering widespread economic ripple effects far beyond the Middle East.