A satellite photo of the Strait of Hormuz and the Gulf of Oman, taken by NASA's Terra satellite, on Feb. 5, 2025. (Credit: NASA Earth Observatory/AFP)
Closing the Strait of Hormuz is considered a serious tool of deterrence at Iran's disposal. Facing ongoing Israeli aggression and sputtering diplomacy, Iran has repeatedly threatened to use its geographical advantage as strategic leverage against Israel, in a bid to pressure it to cease its attacks. "Iran is considering blocking the Strait of Hormuz in the Persian Gulf," both the commander of the Revolutionary Guards and Iranian MP Sardar Esmail Kowsari said last weekend. "More than 17 million barrels of oil pass through here every day," they reminded the world.Why is the Strait of Hormuz so important?Abount 50 kilometers wide and located off the Iranian port of Bandar Abbas, the Strait of Hormuz, considered "the most important in the world" by the U.S. Energy Information Administration, marks the...
Closing the Strait of Hormuz is considered a serious tool of deterrence at Iran's disposal. Facing ongoing Israeli aggression and sputtering diplomacy, Iran has repeatedly threatened to use its geographical advantage as strategic leverage against Israel, in a bid to pressure it to cease its attacks. "Iran is considering blocking the Strait of Hormuz in the Persian Gulf," both the commander of the Revolutionary Guards and Iranian MP Sardar Esmail Kowsari said last weekend. "More than 17 million barrels of oil pass through here every day," they reminded the world.Why is the Strait of Hormuz so important?Abount 50 kilometers wide and located off the Iranian port of Bandar Abbas, the Strait of Hormuz, considered "the most important in the world" by the U.S. Energy Information Administration, marks the...