Strait of Hormuz

The Strait of Hormuz is a narrow, strategically important waterway between the Gulf of Oman in the southeast and the Persian Gulf. On the north coast is Iran and on the south coast is the United Arab Emirates and Musandam, an exclave of Oman. The strait at its narrowest is 54 kilometres (29 nmi) wide.It is the only sea passage to the open ocean for large areas of the petroleum-exporting Persian Gulf. According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, an average of about 15 tankers carrying 16.5 to 17 million barrels of crude oil normally pass through the strait every day, making it one of the world's most strategically important choke points. This represents 40% of the world's seaborne oil shipments, and 20% of all world shipments. Ships moving through the Strait follow a Traffic Separation Scheme (TSS), which separates inbound from outbound traffic to reduce the risk of collision. The traffic lane is six miles (10 km) wide, including two two-mile (3 km)-wide traffic lanes, one inbound and one outbound, separated by a two-mile (3 km) wide separation median. Ships moving through the Strait follow a Traffic Separation Scheme (TSS), which separates inbound from outbound traffic to reduce the risk of collision. The traffic lane is six miles (10 km) wide, including two two-mile (3 km)-wide traffic lanes, one inbound and one outbound, separated by a two-mile (3 km) wide separation median. Strait separating the Persian Gulf to the west and the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea to the east. The strait touches Iran to the north and Oman to the south (the peninsula of Musandam). The length approximates 280 km, and the width is only 50 km at its narrowest point. The strait of Hormuz is of great strategical importance, as it is the only sea route through which oil from Kuwait, Iraq, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, as well as most of United Arab Emirates, can be transported. Three islands in the Gulf of Hormuz were seized by Iran in 1971: Tunb Kabir, Tunb Saghir, and Abu Musa. These are claimed by the United Arab Emirates, but there have never been any battles to reclaim them. Around the 14th century, there emerged a Kingdom of Hormuz. Strait separating the Persian Gulf to the west and the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea to the east. The strait touches Iran to the north and Oman to the south (the peninsula of Musandam). The length approximates 280 km, and the width is only 50 km at its narrowest point. The strait of Hormuz is of great strategical importance, as it is the only sea route through which oil from Kuwait, Iraq, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, as well as most of United Arab Emirates, can be transported. Three islands in the Gulf of Hormuz were seized by Iran in 1971: Tunb Kabir, Tunb Saghir, and Abu Musa. These are claimed by the United Arab Emirates, but there have never been any battles to reclaim them. Around the 14th century, there emerged a Kingdom of Hormuz.