Iran has announced the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, warning that any ship attempting to pass through the strategic waterway risks being targeted, according to reports from Iranian media.
The announcement follows the ongoing conflict involving Iran, the United States and Israel.
The statement was reportedly issued by Iran’s Revolutionary Guards Corps, which vowed to take action against ships navigating the route.
The Strait of Hormuz, located between Iran and Oman, connects the Persian Gulf to the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea.
At its narrowest point, the strait measures about 21 miles wide, with designated shipping lanes approximately two miles wide in each direction.
The waterway is one of the most critical oil transit chokepoints in the world. Data from analytics firm Vortexa shows that more than 20 million barrels of crude oil, condensate and refined fuels passed through the strait daily on average last year. This accounts for roughly one fifth of global oil consumption.
Several members of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, including Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) producers such as Saudi Arabia, Iran, United Arab Emirates, Kuwait and Iraq, export the bulk of their crude oil through the strait, mainly to Asian markets.
Qatar, one of the world’s largest exporters of liquefied natural gas, also routes almost all of its LNG shipments through the waterway.
Even before Iran’s latest announcement, maritime traffic through the strait had slowed, as shipping companies weighed security concerns amid rising hostilities in the region.
The conflict intensified after the United States and Israel launched strikes on Iranian targets over the weekend. Iran has since carried out retaliatory attacks on Israeli and US interests in the region.
The fallout has prompted several Middle Eastern countries to close their airspace and suspend school and business activities. On Monday, the United States urged its citizens in more than a dozen countries in the region, including Israel, to leave for safety reasons.
Casualty figures continue to rise. Reports indicate that more than 600 people have been killed in Iran. Six US soldiers have also been confirmed dead, while Israeli authorities have reported 10 fatalities.