What is the Strait of Hormuz, and could Iran block it?
The United States bombed Iran's three main nuclear sites in a major escalation of this month's conflict in the Middle East. Tehran said it will reserve all options to defend itself.
This US move has stoked speculation that Iran's leadership may reach for another way to pressure its enemies to relent - blocking or effectively closing the Strait of Hormuz to shipping.
This narrow waterway at the mouth of the Persian Gulf handles about a quarter of the world's seaborne oil trade.
So if Iran were able to deny access to the giant tankers that ferry oil and gas to China, Europe and other major energy consuming regions, it would send oil prices shooting higher and potentially destabilise the global economy.
Iran has targeted merchant ships traversing the choke point in the past, and has threatened to block the strait over the years.
Before the US strikes, oil shipping from the region and Hormuz, had been relatively unscathed by the conflict.
Shipments from Iran itself have surged, and oil tanker activity through the Strait of Hormuz remained largely steady. However, Greece's shipping ministry on Sunday advised the nation's vessel owners to review the use of the strait.
WHERE IS THE STRAIT OF HORMUZ?
The waterway connects the Persian Gulf to the Indian Ocean, with Iran to its north and the United Arab Emirates and Oman to the south. It's about 161km long and 33.8km wide at its narrowest point, with the shipping lanes in each direction just 3.2km wide.
Its shallow depth makes ships potentially vulnerable to mines, and the proximity to land - Iran, in particular - leaves vessels open to attack from shore-based missiles or interception by patrol boats and helicopters.
The strait is essential to the global oil trade. Tankers haul about 16.5 million barrels of crude and condensate a day from Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates and Iran through the strait in 2024, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.
The strait is also crucial for liquefied natural gas, or LNG, with more than one-fifth of the world's supply - mostly from Qatar - passing through during the same period.
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