Here are the facts about the strait, which among other things have great significance for the international oil trade:
* The strait lies between Iran to the north and the United Arab Emirates and Oman to the south.
* It connects several Gulf countries: Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.
* The strait is 180 kilometers long and less than 40 kilometers wide at the narrowest point.
* The strait is difficult to navigate. But it has great significance for the world’s oil trade.
* In the 1970s, 38 percent of U.S., 60 percent of Western Europe and 75 percent of Japan’s oil imports crossed the Strait with 60-70 ships daily.
* Since then, traffic has decreased significantly as the strait is difficult to control due to its narrow width and flow conditions. However, it is still the only access to use if you export crude oil from the Persian Gulf.
* This means that a third of the world’s oil transported by ship passes through the strait.
* In addition, Hormuz is of strategic importance to the Gulf states and the United States, which have defense agreements with Oman on access to port and naval facilities.
Sources: Ritzau and Reuters.
Source: The Nordic Page