The Strait of Hormuz, a narrow passageway between the Persian Gulf and Gulf of Oman, has become the focal point of US and Iran tensions as the latter prepared to launch military drills there.
Iran recently warned that it will conduct a five-day drill in the Strait, which is used by several countries to ship oil.
Following Iran’s warning, the US military’s Central Command also issued its own warning early, informing Tehran that any “unsafe and unprofessional behaviour near US forces, regional partners or commercial vessels increases risks of collision, escalation and destabilisation”.
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Ties between the United States and Iran have remained strained most recently since anti-inflation protests erupted across Iran, with reports of thousands killed in crackdowns by state security forces. The situation has further escalated in recent days with US President Donald Trump warning of possible military action to unseat the Islamic regime.
Significance of Strait of Hormuz
- The Strait of Hormuz is a narrow waterway that looks like a bend. Its narrowest point is just 33 kilometres (21 miles) wide.
- Ships from several countries go through it to travel to the rest of the world. While Iran and Oman have their territorial waters in the strait, it is viewed as an international waterway where all ships can ply.
- Historically, the strait has been important for trade with ceramics, ivory, silk and textiles moving from China through the region.
- In the modern era, it is used to ship oil as the strait is deep enough and wide enough to handle the world’s largest crude oil tankers.
- It is also used by India for about 40 per cent of its supplies sourced from Middle East nations such as Iraq, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
While Saudi Arabia and the UAE have pipelines that can avoid the passage, the US Energy Information Administration says “most volumes that transit the strait have no alternative means of exiting the region.”
Due to its geopolitical significance, the strait has been the centre of threats, including by Iran during the 12-day war with Israel in June last year.
After the US struck nuclear facilities in Iran in 2025, Tehran hinted at the closure of this passage.
Also read: US military action on Iran soon? Trump presented ‘options’, says ‘very powerful ships’ on way
Iran’s drill and US’s warning against attack
Iran on Thursday sent a notice by radio warning it Iran has planned to conduct ‘naval shooting’ in the Strait of Hormuz on Sunday and Monday, Associated Press reported.
The coordinates cited in the message suggest the drill could intrude into the Traffic Separation Scheme — a 3.2-kilometre-wide, two-lane maritime corridor where vessels entering the Persian Gulf travel north, while those exiting toward the Gulf of Oman head south.
While Iran has not provided further details on the drill, it will possibly involve the country’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard. The guard also operates a fleet of small fast-attack vessels in the strait that routinely have tense encounters with the U.S. Navy.
Following the warning by Iran, the US military’s Central Command also issued a strongly worded warning against interfering or threatening American warships or passing commercial vessels.
The command, which oversees the U.S. Navy’s Bahrain-based 5th Fleet, said it “will not tolerate unsafe (Guard) actions” that could include its aircraft or vessels getting too close to American warships or pointing weapons toward them.
(With inputs from AP)
