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Tensions are rising again in the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic hub for global oil traffic, following Iran's new threats to block its transit. The move comes in a context already inflamed by recent US raids on nuclear sites in the Islamic Republic. Washington responds by urging China to intervene to contain Tehran, while US Vice President JD Vance has called the possible chiusura of the Strait a potentially disastrous choice for Iran.
Donald Trump's Statements on Damage to Iranian Nuclear Sites
US President Donald Trump said on Truth and All nuclear sites in Iran have suffered monumental damage, as shown by satellite images, calling the situation a complete annihilation. He explained that the white structure shown is embedded deep in the rock, with its roof located well below ground level and completely protected from fire. Trump stressed that The greatest damage occurred well below ground level..
Iran Threatens to Close Strait of Hormuz, Crucial to Global Oil and Gas
The Strait of Hormuz, located between Iran and Oman, connects the Persian Gulf to the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea, forming a crucial maritime passage for global energy trade. This route is of fundamental importance especially for the transport of oil and liquefied natural gas (LNG), so much so that its eventual closure would have serious consequences for international trade flows.
Amid rising tensions between Iran and Israel, Tehran has threatened to block traffic in the Strait, from which most of the exported hydrocarbons transit through it from countries such as Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Iraq, Qatar and Iran itself. According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, in 2024, an average of 33 million barrels of crude oil per day passed through this stretch – just 20 kilometers wide at its narrowest point – as well as about a fifth of global LNG trade, much of it from Qatar.
An analysis by the International Energy Agency confirms that Approximately 25% of the world's supplies pass through the Strait of oil, and that even a temporary interruption would have a significant impact on energy markets.
In recent years, due to tensions in the region, there have been episodes of oil tanker hijackings by the Iranian Revolutionary Guards. In response to this vulnerability, countries such as Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates have launched projects to diversify export routes, including by building pipelines that bypass the Strait.
Strait of Hormuz at risk: Iran threatens closure, US urges Beijing
According to the Iranian broadcaster Press TV, the Majlis, the parliament in Tehran, is said to have concluded that the Strait of Hormuz should be closed. However, the decision the final decision would be up to the Supreme Council of national security. This was reported by General Esmail Kowsari, a member of the Revolutionary Guards and a member of the Parliament's National Security Committee.
Meanwhile, a warning comes from the United States: the closure of the Strait would be, in the opinion of Vice President JD Vance, a potentially suicidal move for Iran. Interviewed by NBC News, Vance would have stressed that a large part of Iran's economy depends on that very sea corridor. If Tehran decided to block it, he added, it would damage itself and further destabilize the global scenario.
The US Secretary of State also intervened on the issue Marco Rubio, that urged China to apply pressure on Iran to avoid disruption of traffic through Hormuz. Speaking to Fox News, Rubio recalled how Beijing depends largely on that transition strategic for oil imports, inviting the Chinese government to take an active role in avoiding an escalation.
“I encourage the Chinese government to reach out to them about this, because they are heavily dependent on the Strait of Hormuz for their oil.”