Iran’s parliament has voted to close the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz in response to the recent US strikes on its nuclear facilities. The decision was announced by a senior Iranian lawmaker, who stated that legislators had reached a consensus on the closure of the strait, although the final decision rests with Iran’s Supreme National Security Council.
The Strait of Hormuz is a crucial waterway for global trade, with approximately 20% of the world’s oil passing through it. The strait is a narrow channel, only 20 miles wide at its narrowest point, making it vulnerable to attacks and threats of closure. Any disruption to traffic in the strait would have significant implications for the global economy, with oil prices likely to soar.
The closure of the Strait of Hormuz would have far-reaching consequences, particularly for Asia, which relies heavily on oil imports from the region. China, Japan, India, and South Korea are among the countries that would be severely impacted by a closure of the waterway. China, in particular, would be affected, as it is the world’s largest buyer of Iranian oil and a strategic partner of Iran.
Iran’s economy would also suffer significantly from the closure of the strait. The country has previously disrupted traffic in the Gulf, including in April 2024, when it seized an Israeli-linked container ship near the channel and accused MSC Aries of breaching maritime rules.
The US strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities have sparked a major escalation in tensions between the two countries. US President Donald Trump claimed that the strikes “totally obliterated” Iran’s main nuclear sites, including the underground nuclear enrichment plant of Fordo. Trump warned that the United States would hit more targets if Iran did not make peace quickly.
In response to the strikes, Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi warned that the United States and Israel had crossed a major red line in attacking Iranian nuclear facilities. “They crossed a very big red line by attacking (Iran’s) nuclear facilities,” Araghchi said, adding that Iran would defend itself “by all means necessary against… US military aggression”.
The situation remains highly volatile, with Iran vowing to retaliate against the US and Israel. The international community is closely watching the developments, with concerns about the potential impact on global stability and the economy