The United States has declared to choke Iran’s maritime lifelines, with the US Central Command announcing a sweeping naval blockade that halts all shipping traffic to and from Iranian ports from Monday morning. The move, ordered under US President Donald Trump, threatens to rip millions of barrels of oil out of global supply chains and push an already fragile energy market toward crisis.
The blockade applies to vessels of all nations entering or exiting Iranian territory, tightening pressure on Tehran while allowing passage only to ships bound for non-Iranian ports.
The blockade extends across Iran’s entire coastline—from the Persian Gulf to the Gulf of Oman—effectively sealing off critical export hubs.
Target ports include:
- Bandar Abbas – Iran’s largest and busiest container port
- Bandar Imam Khomeini – A crucial bulk cargo and container hub
- Bandar-e-Mahshahr – A major oil export terminal
- Chabahar – Strategic port on the Gulf of Oman
- Kharg Island – Iran’s primary oil export terminal
- Bandar-e-Bushehr – Important regional trade hub
- Bandar Lengeh – Smaller commercial harbour with regional significance
- Assaluyeh – Crucial for gas and petrochemical exports
Strait of Hormuz: Global energy lifeline at risk
At the heart of the crisis lies the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most critical shipping corridors. Nearly a quarter of global seaborne oil and vast quantities of liquefied natural gas pass through this narrow stretch.
Any disruption here does not stay regional; it sends shockwaves across continents.
- Around 20-25% of global oil trade flows through the strait
- Asia absorbs 86% of this supply
- China alone accounts for 31% of shipments
- India follows with 14%
Oil supply shock looms large
Analysts warn the blockade could trigger the most severe disruption since the oil crisis of the 1970s.
- Up to 2 million barrels per day of Iranian oil could be cut off immediately
- A broader escalation could impact 9-11 million barrels per day globally
- Iranian exports, already near 1.8 million barrels per day, risk collapsing
Even before the blockade, Iran had ramped up shipments, leaving over 180 million barrels floating at sea, a buffer that may only briefly cushion the shock.
Global fallout: Prices, trade, and tensions
The crisis is already spilling into global shipping lanes.
- Around 3,200 vessels are reportedly stranded west of the strait
- Insurance costs and freight rates are expected to surge
- Supply chains for fuel, fertilisers, and industrial goods face severe disruption
Blocking Iranian exports removes a key supplier from the market, but the greater danger lies in escalation. A wider shutdown of traffic through the Strait of Hormuz could send oil prices soaring worldwide, deepen inflation, and strain economies already under pressure.