Strait of Hormuz Crisis: World’s Critical Oil Chokepoint at the Center of a Geopolitical Storm
On June 22, 2025, the United States launched Operation Midnight Hammer, bombing Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan, after which Iran’s parliament voted to close the Strait of Hormuz. The Strait of Hormuz carries roughly 20% of the world’s oil and gas flows, amounting to about 20 million barrels per day. Brent crude rose about 10% in a few days, climbing to roughly $77 per barrel. The strait stretches about 90 nautical miles in length, narrows to about 21 nautical miles, and the navigable channel for tanker traffic is effectively only two miles wide in each direction. The strait accounts for around