About our Strait of Hormuz news
Latest news on the Strait of Hormuz, covering shipping and tankers, oil and gas supplies, Iran, Oman, naval security, insurance costs and diplomacy in the Persian Gulf.
The Strait of Hormuz is a narrow waterway between Iran and Oman's Musandam peninsula, linking the Persian Gulf to the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea. It is about 33 kilometres wide at its narrowest, with shipping lanes only a few kilometres across. About a fifth of the world's oil consumption and a similar share of liquefied natural gas (LNG) trade passes through it.
Because there is no easy alternative route for most Gulf exports, any threat to the strait matters worldwide. Tensions involving Iran, the United States and Gulf states can lead to naval patrols, tanker seizures, attacks on vessels, blockades and sudden changes in shipping routes. Key themes include energy markets, war risk insurance, escort operations, mine and drone threats, and talks between Iran and Oman over safe passage.
The human side is often overlooked. Seafarers from many countries can be stranded or put at risk when traffic is disrupted, and families wait anxiously for news. Fishing and coastal communities in Iran, Oman and the wider Gulf, along with ports such as Bandar Abbas, depend on the strait for trade and livelihoods.
The strait has long been a pressure point. Iran has repeatedly threatened to close it during confrontations with Western powers, and the Iranian Revolutionary Guards navy and the US Navy have operated close to each other there for decades. Under the law of the sea, ships have the right of transit passage, a principle that is often tested during crises.
NewsNow's Hormuz news feed brings together the latest headlines on the Strait of Hormuz, shipping, tankers, oil and gas flows, naval activity, Iran and Oman from trusted sources.