Hormuz looms large in U.S.-Iran showdown

The Strait of Hormuz is once again in focus as a possible U.S. intervention in Iran raises the risk of Tehran disrupting one of the world’s most critical energy chokepoints

Strait of Hormuz: About 20% of global oil and gas flows through narrow shipping lane

CRUDE OIL FLOW THROUGH STRAIT
(2020-1Q25, mbpd)
20 million barrels: Daily average of oil and products passing through Hormuz
0
5
10
15
20
2020
2021
2022
2023
2024
1Q25
19.1
19.4
21.4
21.4
20.3
20.1

DESTINATION BY COUNTRY
(1Q25, mbpd*)
Around 84% of oil goes to Asian markets
China
5.4
India
2.1
Other
U.S.
Europe
Total
14.3
0.6
0.4
0.5
S. Korea
1.7
Japan
1.6
Other 
Asia
2.0

About 2.6 mbpd of Saudi and UAE pipeline capacity could bypass Strait of Hormuz if supplies are disrupted, EIA says

Pipelines bypassing Hormuz
Million barrels per day (mbpd)
Persian Gulf
Caspian Sea
Black Sea
Mediterranean Sea
Suez Canal
Arabian Sea
Gulf of Oman
Gulf of Aden
Bab al-Mandeb
Red Sea
IRAQ
SYRIA
LEB.
ISRAEL
YEMEN
DJIBOUTI
ERITREA
ETHIOPIA
SOMALIA
SUDAN
JORDAN
KUWAIT
BAHRAIN
QATAR
UAE
OMAN
TÜRKIYE
SAUDI ARABIA
EGYPT

IRAN

Petroline (East-West Pipeline)
5 mbpd

Abu Dhabi Crude Oil Pipeline
1.5 mbpd

Goreh-Jask Pipeline
350,000 bpd

Sumed Pipeline
2.5 mbpd

Kirkuk-Ceyhan Oil Pipeline
1.5 mbpd

Fujairah
Yanbu
Rabigh
Habshan
Abqaiq
Jask Oil Terminal
Goreh Oil Terminal
Ceyhan
Kirkuk

Ain Sokhna Terminal

Sidi Kerir

Tehran
125 miles
200km

Sources: EIA, Energy Intelligence, Bloomberg
*excludes petroleum products
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