U.S. and Iran trade strikes as Tehran closes Strait of Hormuz

Iran's Revolutionary Guards navy closed the Strait of Hormuz until further notice after firing a warning shot at a vessel that tried to transit an unapproved route. The move came as the U.S. military launched strikes on Iran after Iran hit a container ship, pulling the confrontation into the narrow waterway that links the Persian Gulf with the Gulf of Oman.

The Strait of Hormuz is the world's most important oil chokepoint and carries roughly one-fifth of the world's petroleum liquids trade, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. In 2024, oil flow through the strait averaged about 20 million barrels per day, or about 20% of global petroleum liquids consumption, and in the first half of 2025 flows were still averaging 20.9 million barrels per day.

Around one-fifth of global LNG trade also passed through Hormuz in 2023. U.S. officials and maritime bodies have warned that prolonged disruption would quickly ripple through gasoline prices, inflation and shipping security, especially if tankers begin delaying sailings or rerouting around the chokepoint.

More than 20,000 seafarers in the region have been affected by the instability, including crews stranded on vessels unable to exit the strait, according to the International Maritime Organization. The agency has kept a dedicated information and guidance hub on Middle East and Hormuz shipping security.