Threat to blockade Strait of Hormuz

Concerns are growing that Iran could close the Strait of Hormuz if the U.S. directly aids Israel in the war with Hamas, or tightens sanctions on Iran. About a fifth of the world's oil passes through the Strait daily

Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps naval bases

Maritime boundary
Deep-water shipping lane

Bandar-e-Abbas
Qeshm
Larak Island
IRAN
IRAN 
OMAN
Sirri
IRAN 
UAE
STRAIT OF HORMUZ
OMAN
Abu Musa
Abu Dhabi
Jask
IRAN OMAN
UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
*Occupied by Iran, claimed by UAE
Fujairah
OMAN 

Shipping lanes are two nautical miles wide (2,700m), separated by buffer zone

IRAN
IRAQ
Tehran
Bahrain: HQ of U.S. 5th Fleet
KUWAIT
SAUDI ARABIA 
UAE

Crude oil shipments (2023, million barrels per day)
Jan 23.35
Feb 23.40
Mar 23.43
Apr 23.33
May 22.71
Jun 23.00
Jul 22.16
Aug 22.21
Sep 22.35

20.5 million barrels: Daily average of oil and products passing through Hormuz

Iraq 4.34
Kuwait 2.59
Saudi Arabia 9.03
UAE 3.25
Iran 3.14

  Sources: Iran International, IEA Oil Market Report, Reuters †excludes condensates © GRAPHIC NEWS