Iran’s legislative body has cast a vote in favor of shutting down the Strait of Hormuz — a crucial waterway that handles nearly a fifth of the global oil trade each day.
Should this decision be enforced, it would effectively freeze $1 billion worth of daily oil exports, likely triggering a dramatic spike in oil prices worldwide.
The implementation of the closure awaits a final verdict from Iran’s Supreme Council.
According to Iran’s government-run Press TV, the Supreme Council is expected to announce its ruling by the end of the day.
In a statement issued Sunday, Revolutionary Guards Commander Email Kosari said Iran’s sharp response to American airstrikes on its nuclear infrastructure “will be done whenever necessary.”
The Strait of Hormuz — linking the Gulf of Oman to the Persian Gulf — is among the globe’s most strategically sensitive maritime routes, narrowing to just 20 miles at its slimmest section.
The usable shipping lanes within that strait are even more restricted, measuring under two miles in width for each direction, leaving vessels extremely susceptible to military threats or disruptions.
Due to its shallow waters, the strait is especially prone to the dangers of underwater mines, while its narrow span leaves tankers exposed to missile attacks from land or interceptions by small boats and helicopters.
Though Tehran lacks any international legal authority to block maritime passage through the strait, any naval attempts to do so are likely to provoke a forceful counteraction.
The U.S. Fifth Fleet and allied naval forces maintain constant patrols in the region to ensure freedom of navigation.
Geographically, Iran sits to the north of the strait, while Oman and the United Arab Emirates lie to the south.
The vast majority of oil exports from major regional producers — including Iran, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, and the UAE — must pass through this slender maritime passage.
Asian nations stand to lose the most in the event of a closure, particularly countries like China, India, Japan, and South Korea, all of which heavily rely on oil shipped through Hormuz.
China, which purchases more Iranian oil than any other country and has historically used its UN Security Council veto power to shield Tehran from international censure, would be especially impacted.
At the same time, blocking the strait would also damage Iran’s own economy, cutting off a primary route for its oil exports.
This wouldn’t be the first time Iran has interfered with shipping in the region. In April of last year, it seized the MSC Aries, a vessel tied to Israel, near the Strait of Hormuz, accusing it of maritime violations.
In another incident the same month, Iranian forces captured a tanker en route to the U.S., alleging it had collided with another ship.
Back in May 2022, Iran detained two Greek oil tankers for six months, widely interpreted as revenge for Greece and the U.S. seizing Iranian crude on a different vessel.
Meanwhile, on the opposite side of the Arabian Peninsula, Houthi militants in Yemen have successfully disrupted commercial shipping through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait that leads into the Red Sea.
By launching missile and drone attacks, the Houthis slashed marine traffic through both the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden by around 70% in June compared to the 2022–2023 average, according to Clarkson Research Services Ltd., part of the world’s top shipbroking firm.
These disruptions have forced maritime companies to divert vessels around the Cape of Good Hope at the southern tip of Africa, adding considerable time and expense to journeys between Asia and Europe by avoiding the Suez Canal.

{Matzav.com}