The International Energy Agency (IEA) factsheet on the Strait of Hormuz highlights its role as one of the world’s most critical oil transit chokepoints. The strait connects the Persian Gulf with the Gulf of Oman and sees about 20 million barrels per day of crude and oil products—roughly 25% of global seaborne oil trade—mostly bound for Asian markets. Disruptions would have major consequences for global energy markets, as there are limited alternative export routes and most Gulf producers rely on the strait for exports.
Any prolonged closure would also significantly impact global LNG supplies, particularly from Qatar and the UAE, which depend on the strait for nearly all of their exports.
To mitigate this vulnerability, the Saudi East-West Pipeline and the UAE Habshan–Fujairah Pipeline provide alternative routes around the strait.
To mitigate this vulnerability, the Saudi East-West Pipeline, which can handle up to 7 million barrels per day, and the UAE Habshan–Fujairah Pipeline, with a capacity of about 1.5 million barrels per day, provide alternative routes around the strait.
While these pipelines help divert some crude, together they can only transport a fraction of the roughly 20 million barrels per day that normally pass through Hormuz, highlighting the ongoing fragility of global energy supplies, according to The Wall Street Journal.
