Iran’s security council to decide on Strait of Hormuz closure after parliament backs move

Iranian lawmaker and Revolutionary Guards commander Esmail Kosari told the Young Journalist Club that closing the strait is “on the agenda” and that it “will be done whenever necessary,” Reuters reported.

The move follows US strikes on three Iranian military sites. Iran’s foreign minister Seyed Abbas Aragchi said, as quoted by Reuters, that “a variety of options are available with Iran.”

What is the Strait of Hormuz?

The Strait of Hormuz is a narrow passage linking the Persian Gulf with the Gulf of Oman, which leads to the Arabian Sea. It is bordered by Iran and Oman. The strait is used by major oil-producing countries in the region, such as Iran, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, to transport oil and gas to world markets.

At its narrowest point, the strait is around 33 kilometres wide. The shipping lanes, used for vessels travelling in both directions, are only about 3 kilometres wide each. This makes the strait easy to block or to target passing ships if tensions rise.

In 2024, about one-fifth of global oil and petroleum product trade moved through the Strait of Hormuz. Around one-fifth of global liquefied natural gas shipments, mostly from Qatar, also passed through it.

There is no alternative sea route for these exports. Any disruption to ship movements through the strait would likely push up oil and gas prices. This could raise costs across different sectors worldwide, as fuel prices affect many industries.

Some pipelines offer partial alternatives. Saudi Arabia has a pipeline that can move up to five million barrels of oil per day to its Red Sea port of Yanbu. The United Arab Emirates operates a pipeline to the Gulf of Oman with a capacity of 1.8 million barrels per day. But this is small in comparison to the roughly 20 million barrels per day that travelled through the Strait of Hormuz in 2024.

Iran has never fully blocked the strait before, even during the Iran-Iraq war in the 1980s. Both sides attacked vessels but did not stop traffic altogether.

Closing the strait would affect Iran’s own trade as well as that of its neighbours. Iran’s oil exports depend on the strait, and its main buyer, China, could also be affected.

In the past, Iran has avoided such action partly to prevent direct military conflict with the United States. With the US now already involved through recent strikes, this factor may have less influence on Iran’s decision.