The strait of hormuz is a choke point in all senses of the word. Introduction persian gulf is a semienclosed shallow sea average depth 35 m that is connected to the northwest of indian ocean and the oman sea by the strait of hormuz. Sailors aboard the guidedmissile destroyer uss william p. The strait of hormuz, key oil shipping route 3 min read reuters iran has threatened to close the strait of hormuz in the event of a military attack over the countrys nuclear ambitions. The strait of hormuz to whom does the strait belong. On the north coast is iran and on the south coast is the united arab emirates and musandam, an exclave of oman. Strait of hormuz executive summary vi sailing times from the middle east to australia are around 3 to 4 weeks and sailing times from asian refineries are around 2 to 3 weeks. Iranian mining of the strait of hormuz plausibility and key considerations introduction the strait of hormuz is a strategic chokepoint in the arabian gulf through which ninety percent of all gulf exports pass the equivalent of around forty percent of all daily traded oil, globally. The strait is only 21 to 60 miles 33 to 95 km wide throughout its length. The strait of hormuz isnt the only place where tensions are. The strait of hormuz is a narrow, strategically important strait between the gulf of oman in the southeast and the persian gulf. Study of physical parameters of seawater in the strait of. The hormuz strait dam macroproject 21st century electricity development infrastructure node edin. Strait of hormuz simple english wikipedia, the free.
On tuesday, july 3, president hassan rouhani implicitly threatened to close the strategic strait of hormuz and prevent countries from exporting their oil through it if iran was not allowed to sell its own oil due to us sanctions. Day02 1115 f4e attack oil tankers in the strait of hormuz. Jan 27, 2018 download pdf split and merge with bookmark import for free. Only iran and saudi arabia have alternative access routes to maritime shipping lanes.
The tidal signal measured south of the strait by moored adcp and. Jump to media player iran has threatened that if its oil exports are stopped, then no oil can pass the strait of hormuz. This means that closing the strait is a declaration of war to the other exporting countries saudi arabia, kuwait, iraq, qatar, uae, and bahrain and also to the importing states including japan, and the western states that depend heavily on the. The strait of hormuz is the worlds single most important oil passageway, forming a chokepoint between the arabian gulf and the gulf of oman. Piracy has taken place in a maritime area bounded by the suez and the strait of hormuz. Approximately 35 percent of all crude oil shipped by sea and onethird of all liquefied natural gas pass through the strait. The strait of hormuz is the only link between the gulf and the open water of arabian sea and indian ocean. One can imagine many ways that oil flows through the strait of hormuz might be threatened by violence. On 19 july 2019, a uk flagged tanker was seized by iran in the strait of hormuz. Strait of hormuz a strategically important strait linking the persian gulf and the gulf of oman strait of ormuz arabian sea a northwestern arm. The strait, which is a mere 20 miles across at its narrowest point, connects the persian gulf and the gulf of oman and also connects the rest of the world with 40% of its daily oil tanker traffic.
Irans threat to the strait of hormuz congressional research service 1 geopolitical considerations from december 2011 to january 2012, some iranian government officials openly threatened to close the strait of hormuz, a major artery of the global oil market, if sanctions are imposed on irans oil exports. Around 180 million years ago iran and saudi arabia was connected together, then due to continental drift, c. Irans threats, the strait of hormuz, and oil markets. Hydrology and circulation in the strait of hormuz and the gulf of omanresults from the gogp99 experiment. But iran is on the brink of nuclear capability, and time is running out.
The shipping traffic corridor itself is a mere 6 miles wide, with 2 miles each for incoming and outgoing traffic, separated by a 2mile buffer. Iranian mining of the strait of hormuz plausibility and key. Shortly after, the islamic republics military officials explicitly supported this threat. The strait of hormuz, key oil shipping route reuters. The straight is very significant in the fact that it is the only waterbody that sailors can use to travel to the open seas from the persian gulf. An island in the strait of the same name, five miles off the iranian coast. Jan 18, 2018 the strait of hormuz lies between the persian gulf and the gulf of oman, with iran at its northern side and the united arab emirates and musandam an exclave of oman on its southern side. Pdf the hormuz strait dam macroproject 21st century. The recent proliferation of modern antiaccessarea denial a2ad weapons has changed the severity of the threat in constricted waters such as the strait of hormuz soh and the arabian gulf. The shallowest depth in the navigational channel is 71 m. This article resolves longstanding confusion over the legal regime that applies to passage through the strait of hormuz. The strait of hormuz the strait of hormuz is the narrow waterway that forms the entrance to the persian gulf from the gulf of oman and ultimately the arabian sea. Strait of hormuz click to enlarge the strait of hormuz is the primary maritime route through which persian gulf exportersnamely bahrain, iran, iraq, kuwait, qatar, saudi arabia, and the united arab emiratesship their oil to external markets. Navy, nine from european navies, and two from the soviet navy24 were used to clear mines from the gulf.
The strait of hormuz is a strategically important strait or narrow strip of water that links the persian gulf with the arabian sea and the gulf of oman. The timurids are hostile, but will not usually bother attacking hormuz. Besides serving as the only traversable entrance to the persian gulf, the strait is also the worlds most important trade chokepoint. U waterborne ied threats and the strait of hormuz u key findings u a successful attack using a waterborne improvised explosive device wbied or conventional maritime mine in the strait of hormuz could disrupt global trade. Day02 1200 ah64 defend oil tanker under attack by speedboats.
Armor and in particular tanks had been the keys to israeli success in previous wars. At any one time, there are therefore stocks of crude oil and product. The strait of hormuz is a vital waterway for global energy supply and international trade, and in recent months iran has shown a disregard for the important international agreements that govern the safe transit of vessels through such waterways. Pdf split and merge tool is implemented using the pdfsharp library and is either gui or command driven. Iranian mining of the strait of hormuz plausibility and. Major choke points in the persian gulf and east asia. The narrow strait of hormuz is considered one of the most, if not the most strategic strait of water on the planet.
Irans threat to the strait of hormuz congressional research service 12. The strait of hormuz, as news articles in recent weeks have repeatedly stressed, is kind of a big deal when it comes to the global oil trade. Rethinking the strait of hormuz by commander daniel dolan, u. Hormuz, strait of synonyms, hormuz, strait of pronunciation, hormuz, strait of translation, english dictionary definition of hormuz, strait of.
At stake is irans threat to blockade the narrow strait of hormuz, cutting off vital shipping routes and escalating global tensions beyond the breaking point. The strait is 35 to 60 miles 55 to 95 km wide and separates iran north from the arabian peninsula south. Kitra runs a kibbutz and occasionally helps the mossad. Lawrence ddg 110 prepare to offer rescue assistance to a burning vessel during a transit of the strait of hormuz on march 11, 20 311nzq631124. The strait of hormuz is one of the worlds most strategically important choke points. The strait of hormuz a narrow stretch of water separating iran from oman and the united arab emirates uae, the strait is the sole maritime link between the oilrich persian gulf region and the. By faramarz davar july 7, 2018 on tuesday, july 3, president hassan rouhani implicitly threatened to close the strategic strait of hormuz and prevent countries from exporting their oil through it if iran was not allowed to sell its own oil due to us sanctions. U iran has repeatedly threatened to choke maritime traffic through the strait.
Iranian naval and maritime strategy institute for the. Iran and the united states profoundly disagree about the applicable international law in the strait of hormuz, a narrow stretch of water through which travels 17 million barrels of oil per day 20 percent of the world total. Hormuz, strait of definition of hormuz, strait of by the. Maritime security in the strait of hormuz and sea of oman. Renowned in ancient times for its frankincense and metalworking, oman occupies a strategically important location, for which it has long been a prize for empire builders.
Nov 01, 20 in his latest thriller, youll join marc royce and kitra korban as they investigate irans threat to blockade the narrow strait of hormuz, cutting off vital shipping routes and escalating global tensions beyond the breaking point. According to oil analytics company vortexa, almost a fifth of the worlds oil passes through the strait around 17. With little to go on, hell have to rely on an old ally. Apr 24, 2020 oman, country occupying the southeastern coast of the arabian peninsula at the confluence of the persian gulf and arabian sea.
Almost 17 million barrels of oil were transported daily through the strait last year, representing nearly 20% of global oil trade. Study of physical parameters of seawater in the strait of hormuz 1. Iran, in particular, took advantage of the anonymity mine warfare lends to aggressors, planting mines throughout the persian gulf, the gulf of oman, and the strait of hormuz, plausibly denying responsibility to avoid direct u. Jul 01, 2008 this backandforth rhetoric makes it worthwhile to examine irans military capability along this vital international waterway. What if iran retaliates and shuts down the strait of hormuz. Iran and oman are the countries nearest to the strait of hormuz and share territorial rights over the waters.
The geopolitics of the strait of hormuz and the iran 8 introduction from a geographic point of view, a strait is a narrow channel that joins two larger adjacent bodies of water in a natural way. May 14, 2015 the place khasab and bandar abbas was once together. Article pdf available in marine georesources and geotechnology 231 january 2005 with. One of irans most important deterrents to an attack on its territory is its threat to close the strait of hormuz, a vital choke point in the shipping of crude oil from the.
Measured along the median line, the strait is about one hundred and. This analysis may not be forwarded or republished without express permission from stratfor. Because the majority of opec production lies in the persian gulf region, opec might struggle to supply global markets after a disruption in the strait of hormuz, despite opec members relatively easy access to lowcost oil fields. It provides the only sea passage from the persian gulf to the open ocean and is one of the worlds most strategically important choke points. Straight of hormuz article about straight of hormuz by the.
Strait of hormuz, also called strait of ormuz, channel linking the persian gulf west with the gulf of oman and the arabian sea southeast. More than a third of global seaborne crude oil exports travel through the strait, which links the big middle eastern producers with customers worldwide. The strait at its narrowest is 21 nautical miles wide. Mar 24, 2020 the term persian gulf or arabian gulf, the name used by arabs sometimes is employed to refer not only to the persian gulf proper but also to its outlets, the strait of hormuz and the gulf of oman, which open into the arabian sea.
The strait of hormuz is important because it is a geographic chokepoint and a main artery for the transport of oil from the middle east. Pdf hydrology and circulation in the strait of hormuz. Foreign tourists in veils seen on a passenger boat with the iranian flag amass in the waters of the strait of hormuz on may 2, 2017 near hormuz island, iran. The strait that connects the persian gulf with the gulf of oman. If the united states takes the crazy measure of trying to prevent us from doing that, then it should be prepared for the consequences. A recommended course of action that establishes operational advantage. Feb 15, 2012 the straits of hormuz a helicopter from the nimitzclass aircraft carrier uss abraham lincoln cvn 72 hovers over an iranian patrol ship during a transit through the strait of hormuz, february 14. The strait is 21 miles 33 km wide at its narrowest point, but the shipping lane is just two miles three km wide in either direction.
On the north coast lies iran, and on the south coast the united arab emirates and musandam, an exclave of oman. This paper illustrates how iran has combined these. How to merge pdfs and combine pdf files adobe acrobat dc. The strait is about 90 nautical miles long, with a width varying from. Why is the strait of hormuz so strategically important. At its narrowest point it is 22 nautical miles wide and falls within iranian and omani territorial waters. The strait of hormuz and irans international relations article pdf available in the journal of eurasian research 21. The strait of hormuz is 21 miles across at its narrowest. Oman is the greater threat, as they are stronger than hormuz and may make an alliance capable of challenging the combined forces of hormuz, yemen, and shammar without careful play. The strait of hormuz dispute is an ongoing dispute between a coalition of countries and iran. Is iran legally permitted to close strait of hormuz to. Therefore there is same indentation of khasab peninsula in the gulf near bandar abbas. We will continue to find buyers for our oil and we will continue to use the strait of hormuz as a safe transit passage for the sale of our oil, he said.
The strait of hormuz is the worlds most important strategic chokepoint by volume of oil transit. On the northern coast of the strait sits the islamic republic of iran, while the united arab emirates and a small enclave belonging to the sultanate of oman lie on the southern. Through its waters, in giant oceangoing tankers, passes much of the oil from bahrain, iran, iraq, kuwait, qatar, saudi arabia and the united arab emirates. Pdf the strait of hormuz and irans international relations. In late april 2019 iran said that it will block any shipping if it was barred from using the strategic waterway and in face of us sanctions subsequently, a number of naval drills and missile. Shmuel bar, director of studies at the institute of policy and strategy in herzliya, israel, wrote the following.
But that would do far more harm to iran itself than to the rest of the world. The strait of hormuz is a strait between the persian gulf and the gulf of oman. This discussion, however, focuses primarily on the persian gulf proper. Strait of hormuz, possibly to the neglect of other vulnerabilities. Given repeated iranian threats to close the strait of hormuz. The strait of hormuz refinitiv oil research 2 at just 21nautical miles wide at its narrowest point, the strait of hormuz is considered the most important oil chokepoint in the world. May 02, 2015 the strait of hormuz, the slender waterway that connects the persian gulf to the rest of the world and is a critical conduit in the global oil supply chain, has again become a point of contention. The dispute arose on 27 december 2011, when iranian vice president mohammadreza rahimi threatened to close the strait of hormuz. Once again, tensions are mounting in the persian gulf and the strait of hormuz. Marc royce was formerly an intelligence operative for. Transit passage rights in the strait of hormuz and irans. As far as mineclearing operations, during the 1980s tanker war in the gulf, a total of 17 minesweepers six from the u.
Pdf the legal vortex in the strait of hormuz semantic. It lies between iran and a tiny separated territory of the sultanate of oman on the arabian peninsula. Navy sailors assigned to the harbor patrol boat unit off the coast of bahrain in 2006. Iran lawmakers prepare to close hormuz strait rt there is a bill prepared in the national security and foreign policy committee of parliament that stresses the blocking of oil tanker traffic carrying oil to countries that have sanctioned iran, iranian mp. The strait of hormuz is a narrow waterway that lies between the persian gulf to the north and the gulf of oman to the south, which emp6es into the arabian sea. Click add files and select the files you want to include in your pdf. You can merge pdfs or a mix of pdf documents and other files. Under the guise of investigating money laundering via highend art purchases in europe, royce finds himself in switzerland with only sketchy information, no backup, and without a single.
It has been the scene of diplomatic incidents, military clashes and maritime collisions but to tehran, in particular, it is a chokepoint of great potential. Closing the strait would be a response equal to the wests unlawful severing of iran from global commerce, believes irans senior spokesman on western sanctions and former intelligence minister ali falahian. When youre finished arranging, click combine files. I suggest that the west take seriously our threat to close the strait of hormuz, he said on sunday, as cited by the israelibased news website debkafile. Recent attacks against commercial ships near the strait of hormuz, off fujairah port and in the sea of oman have raised maritime security concerns and identified increased security risk to all ships operating in these areas.
It allows bookmarks from the input pdfs to be imported and flexibly embedded in the destination document. Strait of hormuz map and map of the strait of hormuz. Strait of hormuz by davis bunn starts off with a bang and keeps up a steady pace through most of the story. Jan 23, 2020 the strait is only 21 to 60 miles 33 to 95 km wide throughout its length. The strait of hormuz has great strategic and, by extension, military importance at its narrowest, the strait flows between iran to the north and the omanian exclave of musandam to the south. Is the strait of hormuz governed by treaty or by customary. Kitra korban has ties to people with the means to get things done, so long as no questions are asked. Day02 2 fa18f destroy iranian kilo class subs in port. The strait is crucial to the global economy and energy supplies. Iran is located on the north shores of the strait, and.
The geopolitics of the strait of hormuz and the iranoman. Around 20% of the worlds oil passes through the strait. Day02 1 f4e attack a us navy frigate in the persian gulf. The strait of hormuz is the export channel for 40 percent of the oil production of the entire area. The strait of hormuz the strait of hormuz is the only link between the gulf and the open water of arabian sea and indian ocean. We believe that iran will continue to sell its oil. Click, drag, and drop to reorder files or press delete to remove any content you dont want. No particular scenario is very likely, and even the overall risk of conflict, imagining every possible scenario, might not be very high. Day02 1630 fa18e attack parked fighters at bandar abbas. Hormuz usually gets a mission at the start of the game to claim the omani province due south. Dec 29, 2011 iran borders the strait of hormuz to the north, and the united arab emirates and omans musandam peninsula border it to the south. There are two shipping lanes through the strait, one in each direction. The term persian gulf or arabian gulf, the name used by arabs sometimes is employed to refer not only to the persian gulf proper but also to its outlets, the strait of hormuz and the gulf of oman, which open into the arabian sea.
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