The Strait of Hormuz is a narrow channel connecting the Persian Gulf to the open ocean. During peacetime, roughly one-fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas supplies pass through it. Since late February, however, that flow has been cut by an estimated 70% as Iran uses drones, missiles, and fast-attack craft to threaten vessels that try to transit without permission.
On March 2, a senior adviser to the commander of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps announced the strait was “closed” and warned that any ship attempting to pass would be set ablaze. The declaration came two days after the United States and Israel launched coordinated airstrikes—Operation Epic Fury—against Iranian military and nuclear sites.
In the weeks that followed, Iran allowed limited passage to ships from countries it considers friendly, including China, India, Russia, Pakistan, and Iraq. Vessels carrying humanitarian aid or fertilizer have also been permitted. All other traffic remains blocked unless it coordinates with Iranian armed forces, a condition most international shipping companies have refused to meet.
The United States responded on April 13 by imposing its own naval blockade on Iranian ports. U.S. warships have since diverted or seized vessels trying to export Iranian crude. Iran has denounced the actions as “piracy.” The competing blockades have effectively sealed the Strait from both directions and left hundreds of commercial vessels and as many as 20,000 seafarers stranded in the region, according to the International Maritime Organization.
A ceasefire took effect on April 8 through Pakistani mediation, but talks have so far failed to produce a lasting agreement. Last week, Iranian First Vice President Mohammad Reza Aref signaled that the closure will not end without concessions, stating that “one cannot restrict Iran’s oil exports while expecting free security for others.”
On Monday, U.S. Central Command launched what President Donald Trump called “Project Freedom” — an operation involving guided-missile destroyers, more than 100 aircraft, unmanned platforms, and 15,000 service members — intended to help merchant vessels transit the strait. CENTCOM reported that two U.S.-flagged commercial ships successfully made the passage on Monday under military protection.
Iran rejected the account. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps insisted “no commercial vessels or oil tankers” had crossed. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi called Project Freedom “Project Deadlock” and warned that there is “no military solution to a political crisis.”
Oil prices jumped Monday, and stock markets fell as investors absorbed the renewed uncertainty. Brent crude futures briefly touched their highest levels since the early weeks of the war, adding to inflationary pressure in economies still recovering from prior energy shocks.
The shipping industry remains deeply cautious. Germany’s Hapag-Lloyd said transit was still impossible because no clear procedures exist for safe passage. The Baltic and International Maritime Council noted that without explicit consent from Iran, the threat to ships cannot be reliably suppressed. The Joint Maritime Information Center has kept the maritime security threat level at “critical.”
Pakistan announced Monday that all 22 crew members of an Iranian-flagged container ship seized by U.S. forces last month have been evacuated and will be returned home. The vessel, the Touska, is to be handed back after repairs, a step Pakistan described as a “confidence-building measure.”
European governments have urged Iran to reopen the strait. Germany’s Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul repeated that call this week, noting that the closure blocks oil exports from much of the Middle East. Iran, however, has linked any reopening to the lifting of the U.S. naval blockade and broader economic and military sanctions.
The Strait of Hormuz remains the world’s most critical energy chokepoint. For now, normal passage of oil tankers, LNG carriers, and other commercial vessels has stopped. The standoff continues to reshape global energy trade flows, pushing prices higher and deepening instability across the region.