Analysis · · 7 min read
#Hormuz
The Strait of Hormuz and the Gulf chokepoints
Tanker traffic, security and bypass routes for Gulf oil and gas.
The Strait of Hormuz links the Gulf with the open ocean and carries a large share of the world’s seaborne oil and LNG. Since the conflict that began in February 2026, traffic through the strait has been disrupted, and the Red Sea and Bab el-Mandeb have also become risk zones.
This page brings together our analysis of chokepoint risk, the pipelines that bypass the strait and the effect on freight, insurance and prices.
28 articles · 10 recent headlines
Analysis
Articles on this topic
Analysis · · 7 min read
Iran’s Oil Production and Exports in 2026: Volumes, Capacity and Trends
Analysis · · 6 min read
Kharg Island and Iran’s Oil Terminals and Refineries Explained
Analysis · · 7 min read
How Iranian Oil Supply Moves Global Prices: Scenarios for 2027
Analysis · · 6 min read
Hormuz, Bab el-Mandeb and the Bosphorus — Chokepoint Risk in 2026
Analysis · · 7 min read
From Urea to Food Prices: How Fertiliser Shortages Threaten Harvests
Analysis · · 7 min read
How the 2026 Iran War Disrupted Fertiliser Trade: Urea and Ammonia
Analysis · · 7 min read
Iran’s Petrochemicals: Methanol, Urea, LPG and Regional Markets
Analysis · · 6 min read
Iran in OPEC: Quotas, Exemptions and Its Role in OPEC+ Decisions
Analysis · · 7 min read
How Sanctions Shape Iran’s Oil Sales and the Global Oil Market
Analysis · · 7 min read
Iran’s Oil Fields and Reserves: Ahvaz, Gachsaran, Marun and the Outlook
Analysis · · 7 min read
Iran’s Natural Gas: South Pars, Regional Exports and LNG Potential
Analysis · · 7 min read
The Helium Shortage of 2026: How the Gulf Crisis Hit World Supply
Analysis · · 7 min read
Who Buys Iranian Oil? Iran’s Crude Customers and Trade Flows Explained
Analysis · · 7 min read
Helium Shortage 5.0? Lessons From Past Shortages and the 2027 Outlook
Analysis · · 7 min read
The Global Urea Shortage of 2026: Supply, Prices and Who Is Affected
Analysis · · 7 min read
China’s Energy Security 2026: Oil Stockpiles, Imports and Diversification
Analysis · · 6 min read
The 2026 Oil Market — Supply Shock, OPEC+ Policy and the Path of Brent
Analysis · · 6 min read
Brent Price Forecast 2027 — What the EIA, IEA and Major Banks Expect
Analysis · · 6 min read
OPEC+ Spare Capacity in 2027 — Quotas, Shut-ins and the November Meetings
Analysis · · 7 min read
Dated Brent vs Brent Futures — Why Physical Crude Costs More in 2026
Analysis · · 6 min read
India's Crude Imports in 2026 — Why Refiners Are Turning Back to the Gulf
Analysis · · 7 min read
Türkiye Energy Hub in 2026 — Ceyhan, Iraqi Oil and Routes Around Hormuz
Analysis · · 7 min read
LPG Prices 2026 — Hormuz Losses, Record US Propane Exports and Saudi CP
Analysis · · 7 min read
Americas Oil Supply in 2026 — US Shale, Guyana, Brazil and Vaca Muerta
Analysis · · 7 min read
Energy Security in 2026 — Investment, Bypass Routes, Oil Stocks and LNG
Guide · · 7 min read
Brent vs WTI vs Dubai/Oman — How the Oil Price Benchmarks Work
Guide · · 7 min read
Incoterms for Oil and Gas Cargoes — FOB, CFR, CIF and DES Explained
News
Latest headlines
From our daily brief and the energy wire. Headlines are in English and link to the original reports.
- October sets record for Hormuz attacks as VLCC fleet sustains damage
- China pushes domestic production as Iranian supply dries up
- Oil retreats from six-month high as officials convene in Tehran
- Houthis claim attacks on Saudi Arabia's East-West crude pipeline
- CENTCOM: more than 1.5 billion barrels moved out of Hormuz since the war began
- Oil Prices Drop Despite Threat of New U.S. Strikes on Iran (opens in a new tab)
- Asia Needs $1 Trillion a Year to Avoid the Next Energy Shock (opens in a new tab)
- Tanker Disabled in Strait of Hormuz Attack, Another Vessel Reported on Fire in Persian Gulf (opens in a new tab)
- Hormuz Chaos Sparks Legal Showdown Over Global Tanker Pricing (opens in a new tab)
- Brent Tops $116 as Middle East Risks Grow (opens in a new tab)
Trending topics
Explore other topics
- #OilPricesBrent and WTI prices, forecasts, benchmarks and physical premiums.
- #WeeklyOutlookEvery Friday: Brent and WTI forecast for next week. Every Saturday: the energy week in Europe, the US, China and the Middle East.
- #IranOilIran’s oil and gas output, export flows, customers, sanctions and its weight in world energy markets.
- #ChinaEnergyChina’s oil and gas imports, stockpiles, refining, overseas investment and the energy transition.
- #OPECPlusProduction decisions, quotas, compensation cuts and spare capacity.
- #ShippingTanker rates, routes, war-risk insurance and vessel checks.
- #DieselMiddle-distillate supply, crack spreads and refinery runs.
- #EuropeGasHow Europe replaces lost gas supply: LNG imports, storage, demand cuts and new suppliers.
- #UreaUrea supply and prices, the 2026 fertiliser shortage and what it means for crops and food.
- #HeliumWhy helium is scarce, who produces it, who depends on it and how the 2026 disruption changed the market.
- #LNGGas supply, hub prices, LPG flows and the link to fertiliser.
- #SanctionsSanctions regimes, price caps, vessel screening and compliance.
- #TurkiyeCeyhan, the Turkish Straits, pipelines and Türkiye’s role in energy trade.
- #OilTradingPractical guides on benchmarks, pricing, Incoterms, payment and fraud.
- #OilScamsFake tank storage, TTT offers, forged documents and look-alike companies: how the scams work and how to check a deal.
- #EnergySecurityStrategic reserves, inventories, investment and new supply.
Questions about the market?
Talk to us about how these developments affect your cargoes and contracts.