Explainer
How the Strait of Hormuz Has Become a Weapon of War
No region of the world produces more oil and gas than the countries straddling the Persian Gulf, and most of it needs to travel by tanker via the Strait of Hormuz.
Traffic through the waterway has been at a near-standstill since the US and Israel launched strikes against Iran in late February and Tehran threatened to attack ships in the strait. This sent energy prices soaring on world markets and triggered a cascade of disruption across industries as varied as Indian fertilizer production, South Korean manufacturing and European aviation.