Reference
The Strait of Hormuz
A channel 21 nautical miles wide between Iran and Oman. It is the only sea route out of the Persian Gulf, and about a quarter of the world’s seaborne oil trade passes through it.
Where it is.
The Strait of Hormuz connects the Persian Gulf to the Gulf of Oman and the Indian Ocean beyond. At its narrowest it is 21 nautical miles wide. Iran holds the whole north shore, and Oman’s Musandam peninsula forms the south shore.
Ships don’t sail it freely. A Traffic Separation Scheme gives them an inbound lane and an outbound lane, each roughly 2 nautical miles wide, with a separation zone between. Both lanes run through Iranian and Omani territorial waters, so no vessel can cross without entering the territorial sea of at least one of the two states.
The United Arab Emirates borders the southern approaches and surrounds the Musandam exclave on its landward side. Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Kuwait, Qatar and Bahrain lie farther up the Gulf, and all of them depend on this one exit. The full list is on what countries border the strait.
What passes through.
In normal conditions about 21 million barrels of crude oil, condensate and petroleum products cross the strait every day. That is close to a fifth of world oil consumption and about a quarter of all oil carried by sea. Roughly 85 commercial vessels crossed on a typical day before the crisis, a little over half of them tankers.
Qatar sends almost all of its liquefied natural gas this way, which is why the strait also accounts for about a fifth of global LNG trade. Oil has some bypass: the Petroline, ADCOP and Goreh-Jask pipelines have nameplate for only about 60% of normal crude and condensate flow, and less when a line is down. LNG has no bypass at all. More detail is on what share of world oil passes through and why the strait matters.
Who controls it.
Because the lanes sit inside Iranian and Omani territorial waters, the two states hold the shores and the water. Iran has the stronger military position: IRGC naval bases line its coast and sit on Abu Musa and the Greater and Lesser Tunbs, islands inside the strait that the UAE disputes.
Law limits what they can do with it. The strait is an international strait under UNCLOS Part III, so all vessels, civilian and military, have the right of transit passage, and a unilateral closure is contrary to international law. Iran disputes parts of that framework and argues its own territorial-sea laws take precedence. The United States and most other states hold that transit passage can’t be suspended. The question is covered at length in can Iran close the strait.
The 2026 closure.
Day 234 since the closure began on 28 February 2026. War-risk insurance has priced commercial transit through the Strait of Hormuz beyond the reach of most operators. The live tracker updates every few minutes.
The Strait of Hormuz has been effectively closed to commercial traffic since February 28, 2026. Iran re-declared it closed after the July ceasefire collapsed, and the war has spread to a second chokepoint, where control of the Yemeni side of the Bab el-Mandeb is contested: the Houthis took it in September, Yemen's Saudi-backed government said on October 5 that it had retaken the coast up to Mocha, the Houthis deny it, and Reuters couldn't verify the claim.
The day-by-day record of strikes, seizures and talks is on the news page, and what moved in the last 24 hours is on today’s change log.
Frequently asked.
FAQWhere is the Strait of Hormuz?
It sits between Iran on the north shore and Oman's Musandam peninsula on the south. It joins the Persian Gulf to the Gulf of Oman and the Indian Ocean, and it is the only sea route out of the Gulf.
How wide is the Strait of Hormuz?
It is 21 nautical miles wide at its narrowest. The inbound and outbound shipping lanes are each roughly 2 nautical miles wide, with a separation zone between them.
How much oil passes through the Strait of Hormuz?
About 21 million barrels a day in normal conditions. That is close to a fifth of world oil consumption and about a quarter of all seaborne oil trade. About a fifth of global LNG trade also passes through it.
Who controls the Strait of Hormuz?
No one owns it. Iran and Oman hold the shores and the shipping lanes run through their territorial waters. Under UNCLOS Part III, all vessels have the right of transit passage, and a unilateral closure is contrary to international law.
Further reading.
Cite this page
The Strait of Hormuz is a channel 21 nautical miles wide at its narrowest between Iran and Oman's Musandam peninsula. It is the only sea route out of the Persian Gulf and carries about a quarter of seaborne oil trade and about a fifth of global LNG trade, as explained by straits.live. Source: https://straits.live/strait-of-hormuz
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