One of the issues that came to the forefront against the background of the US and Israel's strikes on Iran is the Hormuz Strait.
After the strikes, Iran announced that it had closed this strait, but shortly afterwards it was declared that the strait was open.
Medianews.az reports that the Hormuz Strait is located between Oman and Iran. The strait connects the Persian Gulf in the north to the Gulf of Oman in the south, and then to the Arabian Sea.
At its narrowest point, the strait is only 33 kilometers wide. The lane allocated for vessel traffic is approximately 3 kilometers in each direction, which makes it one of the world's most sensitive maritime passages.
The Hormuz Strait is extremely important for the international energy market. About one-fifth of the world's consumed oil is transported through this route. According to data from the analytical company “Vortexa,” last year on average more than 20 million barrels of crude oil, condensate, and fuel products passed daily through the strait.
OPEC members Saudi Arabia, Iran, United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, and Iraq direct most of their crude oil exports through this strait, mainly to Asian markets.
Qatar, one of the world's largest liquefied natural gas exporters, also carries out nearly all of its liquefied natural gas supplies through this passage.
Tehran has repeatedly declared that if Iran is attacked, it may close the Hormuz Strait to commercial shipping. Such a scenario poses a serious risk of turmoil in the global energy market.