The Strait Of Hormuz Puts A Spotlight On Renewable Energy - CleanTechnica

The Strait of Hormuz is a strategically critical narrow waterway connecting the Persian Gulf to the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea. It is bordered by Iran to the north and Oman to the south, and serves as a vital transit route for about 20% of the world’s oil and methane energy exports. Nearly all Persian Gulf bordering countries are major oil producers, making the strait a crucial global energy chokepoint. The International Maritime Organization enforces a Traffic Separation Scheme within the strait, but these shipping lanes lie entirely within Iranian or Omani territorial waters, giving Iran significant leverage to disrupt tanker traffic in times of conflict. Iran, while dependent on oil exports passing through the strait for its national income, has developed asymmetric naval capabilities—including fast armed speedboats, anti-ship missiles, naval mines, and drones—to challenge larger naval powers like the US. Additionally, Iran has reportedly interfered with GPS signals used by ships, causing navigational errors and incidents such as recent tanker collisions.