The Strait of Hormuz

The Strait of Hormuz is not straight.  It’s a curved waterway that connects the Persian Gulf to the Gulf of Oman. Persia is the historical name of Iran and Oman is the name of a country to the south. While the Persian Gulf borders Iran the Gulf of Oman borders the enormous Arabian Sea.

The Persian Gulf is relatively shallow with the exception of the deep port of Kharg Island in the north and the Strait of Hormuz which is deep enough to accommodate large tanker ships. The Persian Gulf is about 615 miles long.

Kharg Island is part of Iran and is about 26 miles from the coast and boasts waters deep enough for the big ships. The island is about 5 miles long and 3 miles wide and has a population of up to 20,000. No oil is pumped out of the ground on Kharg Island but it hosts pipelines and storage facilities that transmit 90% of Iran’s oil to the tankers. That oil is about 83% of Iran’s exports. Whoever controls Kharg Island controls Iran.

The Strait of Hormuz is navigated by tankers carrying 20% (or more) of both of the world’s oil and Liquified Natural Gas (LNG). At its most narrow spot the Strait of Hormuz is just 21 miles wide. About 130 ships pass through the Strait daily.  Whoever controls the Strait of Hormuz has enormous influence.

In 2025 China purchased 80-90% of Iran’s oil exports and is its biggest buyer.

Sources: AI, Encyclopedia Britannica, BBC, Wikipedia, International Energy Association (I.E.A.), Eurasian Bookshelf.

Photo by Bergadder at Pixabay.com

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Steve Jackson - Author