The Strait of Hormuz – the most dangerous energy artery in the world
Located between Iran and Oman, the Strait of Hormuz is absolutely the most critical point for global energy security. About 20 million barrels of oil pass through it every day, which is almost one fifth of the world’s seaborne oil trade.
What makes it particularly vulnerable is not only its scale but also its geopolitical explosiveness. In conditions of military tensions or outright conflicts, such as the current conflicts in the Middle East, any closure or restriction of navigation immediately causes a sharp increase in oil prices, disruption of supply chains and panic and turbulence in the world’s stock markets. Alternatives to the Strait of Hormuz are limited and insufficient. Several pipelines through Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates cannot even come close to compensating for sea flow. At the moment, we are witnessing the importance of the Strait of Hormuz in a global framework, and this gives an answer to the question of the aspirations and ambitions of all stakeholders, especially the great powers, for the manner and scope of the management of this strait.
The Suez Canal – the door between East and West
The Suez Canal in Egypt is one of the busiest maritime routes in the world. About 10 percent of global oil transport and thousands of ships pass through it annually. When this channel is blocked, as the world has already seen with certain incidents in recent years, the consequences are dramatic. Namely, then ships are diverted around Africa via the Cape of Good Hope, delivery times increase by weeks, and transport costs rise inexorably. An additional problem is the dependence on the alternative so-called SUMED-oil pipeline, whose capacity is limited and cannot replace all sea traffic.
Bab el Mandeb – the invisible but crucial bottleneck
This strait, which connects the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean, is often in the shadow of Suez, but in reality it is its prerequisite. Without it, there is no access to the channel. Located in a region of chronic instability (Yemen, the so-called “Horn of Africa”), the Bab el Mandeb strait is exposed to piracy, armed conflicts, terrorist threats… A blockade here automatically means the cessation of trade between Europe and Asia via Suez.
Bosphorus and Dardanelles – the European energy gateway
These two straits, under the control of Turkey, are the only sea connection between the Black Sea and the Mediterranean Sea. They are crucial for the export of oil from Russia and the Caspian Region to Europe. The traffic is heavy, the space is narrow, and the risk is huge. Turkey has already introduced restrictions on night passage of large tankers due to the risk of accidents. Any interruption here would mean a reduction in supply to Europe, additional pressure on energy prices, increased dependence on other more expensive sources…
Strait of Malacca – the Asian energy line of life
One of the busiest maritime corridors in the world, the Malacca Strait is the main route for oil to China, Japan and other Asian economies. As a huge part of global oil flows pass through it, its blockade would have devastating consequences for industrial production in Asia, global supply chains and commodity prices on world markets.
The Panama Canal – important, but not crucial
Although the Panama Canal connects the Atlantic and Pacific sides, its importance for the transportation of oil is relatively smaller (about three percent). However, its closure would lead to significantly longer routes around South America, higher transport costs and a slowdown in trade. Alternatives, such as the Strait of Magellan, are much more cost-effective.
Geography as the destiny of the economy
Each of these bottlenecks represents a potential point of collapse. In conditions of increasing global demand for energy, their vulnerability becomes even more pronounced. The consequences of their disruption are already well known, and include the disruption of global supply chains, inflation and rising fuel prices, commodity shortages, slowing economic growth and, of course, the risk of a global recession. The examples of recent crises clearly show that it is enough for one bottleneck to “stop” to shake the entire world economic system.
Thus, despite technological progress and globalization, the world economy remains trapped in geography. Several tens of kilometers of sea, straits and canals dictate the stability of global markets. Therefore, ensuring their safety and flow is not only a logistical issue but a strategic imperative for the forces that advocate for world peace and economic growth and development worldwide, for the sake of human prosperity and well-being. Otherwise, as we have already witnessed, each of their closure by certain forces is not only their “state, national interest or imperialist challenge”, which presents itself as a local or minor regional problem. On the contrary. Any attempt at someone’s takeover, control, special management regimes or bad management of sea straits and canals represents a global economic shock and a path to agony for the world economy, not only for smaller countries and nations, but also for the great powers. RS
