THE HORMUZ SHUTDOWN SO FAR: THE DETAILS
The Strait of Hormuz, a vital maritime passage transporting about 20% of the world’s oil, has been effectively closed for 100+ days. This closure commenced on February 28, 2026, after coordinated strikes by the United States and Israel on Iran. Map of the Strait of Hormuz www.bloomberg.com On June 11, 2026, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps officially declared the strait closed to all vessels, including oil tankers and commercial ships, warning that any vessel attempting passage would be targeted. While the U.S. Central Command contests this claim and asserts naval-coordinated commercial transit continues, tanker traffic remains approximately 95% below the pre-conflict average of 94 daily transits, with some days seeing as few as two. The disruption’s severity is rooted in the strait’s geography. At its narrowest, the waterway spans only 21 miles, with shipping lanes occupying about 2 miles on each side. Under normal conditions, nearly 20 million barrels of oil flow daily thro...