Iran’s latest gambit to choke the Strait of Hormuz could kneecap global oil markets. The move, a retaliatory jab at U.S. and Israeli strikes on its nuclear sites, risks spiking prices and plunging economies into chaos. Tehran’s playing a dangerous game, and the world’s watching.
Iran’s parliament voted to shutter the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow chokepoint carrying 20% of global oil, after U.S. and Israeli attacks on its nuclear facilities. The decision, awaiting a final nod from Iran’s Supreme Council by June 23, 2025, could halt $1 billion in daily oil shipments. If approved, this closure would ripple through markets, hitting nations like China, India, and Japan hardest.
Tensions escalated after Israel pummeled Iran’s nuclear infrastructure, followed by U.S. airstrikes on June 21, 2025. The U.S. dropped six 15-ton GBU-57 “bunker buster” bombs on Iran’s Fordow enrichment plant and two other sites, marking their first combat use. Satellite imagery reveals heavy damage to the mountain shielding Fordow, a clear signal to Tehran.
Iran’s response smacks of desperation, but it’s not without precedent. In April 2023, Iran seized an Israel-linked ship, MSC Aries, near the Strait, claiming maritime violations. Months earlier, it nabbed a U.S.-bound tanker and held two Greek tankers for six months, flexing its muscles in these waters.
The Strait of Hormuz, a mere 20 miles wide at its narrowest, is a geopolitical powder keg. Its shipping lanes, less than two miles wide each way, are easy prey for Iran’s patrol boats, missiles, or underwater mines. Flanked by Iran to the north and Oman and the UAE to the south, the strait’s shallowness only heightens the risk.
Most oil from Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE flows through this bottleneck. Closing it would choke off exports, jacking up prices, and squeezing economies worldwide. Even Iran’s economy, already wobbly, would take a hit—talk about cutting off your nose to spite your face.
“Will be done whenever necessary,” Revolutionary Guards Commander Email Kosari declared on June 22, 2025, about escalating tensions. That’s bold talk for a regime staring down Western navies. The U.S. Fifth Fleet, alongside allies, patrols these waters 24/7, ready to counter any Iranian overreach.
Iran lacks legal grounds to block the strait, and trying would likely spark a swift Western response. The U.S. and its allies aren’t about to let Tehran hold global trade hostage. Kosari’s bluster sounds more like a bluff than a battle plan.
China, India, Japan, and South Korea, heavily dependent on Hormuz oil, face a potential economic gut punch. China, Iran’s top oil buyer, has a history of shielding Tehran at the UN, but even Beijing might balk at this reckless stunt. A closure would disrupt their supply chains, proving Iran’s strategy is as shortsighted as it is provocative.
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi called the U.S. strikes “extremely dangerous, lawless, and criminal” on June 21, 2025. Pot, meet kettle—Tehran’s ship seizures and threats to global shipping hardly scream law-abiding. Araghchi’s outrage rings hollow when Iran’s actions invite retaliation.
The Houthi militia, Iran’s proxies in Yemen, already showed how to disrupt shipping by targeting the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. Their missile and drone attacks slashed Red Sea traffic by 70% in June 2023, forcing ships to detour around Africa. Iran’s taking notes from its playbook of chaos.
Jask, an Iranian port town on the Gulf of Oman, sits just outside the strait, perfectly positioned for Tehran to project power. Iran’s shore-based missiles, helicopters, and patrol boats could wreak havoc on passing tankers. The Strait’s geography makes it a sitting duck for asymmetric warfare.
Yet Iran’s not invincible. The U.S. and Western navies have the firepower to keep the strait open, and they’ve done it before. Tehran’s threats may rally its base, but they’re poking a bear with a very big stick.
Oil markets are already jittery, and a closure would send prices through the roof. Consumers in the West, already fed up with inflation, don’t need another progressive-fueled foreign policy mess driving up gas prices. Iran’s move is a reminder: weak leadership invites aggression, and strength is the only deterrent.
The Supreme Council’s decision looms large. If they greenlight this closure, Iran risks isolating itself further while dragging the world into an economic quagmire. For now, the strait remains open, but the shadow of conflict grows darker by the hour.
