Excellent analysis. The Strait of Hormuz is one of the most important chokepoints on earth, and too many people overlook how much global leverage sits in that narrow stretch of water.
I’d be very surprised if the possibility of Iran threatening the strait wasn’t one of the first things discussed before the initial strike. The idea that this only occurred to planners afterward seems unlikely. We’ll probably see in the coming days that there was a plan for this all along.
Suez Canal Connects the Mediterranean Sea to the Red Sea. Critical for global shipping routes.
Strait of Hormuz Vital passage for oil shipments from the Gulf. Affects global oil prices and supply.
Bab el-Mandeb Strait Connects the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden. Important for trade between Europe and Asia.
Conclusion
The importance of waterway bottlenecks is increasing in light of the sharp rise in oil prices (two-thirds of global oil trade is done by sea), since the closing of the Sueze Canal in the 70s by Egypt, the growing conflict between Iran, its proxies and the United States and Israel since 1979, the former attacks of the Houthis on economic maritime routes, the increase in Somali pirate activity near the Horn of Africa, the Islamic instability following the wave of anti-regime protests that swept North Africa and the Middle East since early 2011, and the growing awareness of the possibility of environmental disasters in narrow waterways.
Maritime bottlenecks in Egypt and the Middle East are not just geographical features; they are critical points that influence regional stability, economic health, and security. Addressing these vulnerabilities is essential for ensuring safe and efficient maritime trade in the region.
Even Saudi's diversion of its exports through the Red Sea still does not solve the bottlenecks in Bab el-Mandeb nor the Sueze Canal:
"Aramco’s Red Sea Lifeline: How the East-West Pipeline Became Saudi Arabia’s Only Oil Export Route"
Excellent analysis. The Strait of Hormuz is one of the most important chokepoints on earth, and too many people overlook how much global leverage sits in that narrow stretch of water.
I’d be very surprised if the possibility of Iran threatening the strait wasn’t one of the first things discussed before the initial strike. The idea that this only occurred to planners afterward seems unlikely. We’ll probably see in the coming days that there was a plan for this all along.
Key Maritime Bottlenecks in the ME
Suez Canal Connects the Mediterranean Sea to the Red Sea. Critical for global shipping routes.
Strait of Hormuz Vital passage for oil shipments from the Gulf. Affects global oil prices and supply.
Bab el-Mandeb Strait Connects the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden. Important for trade between Europe and Asia.
Conclusion
The importance of waterway bottlenecks is increasing in light of the sharp rise in oil prices (two-thirds of global oil trade is done by sea), since the closing of the Sueze Canal in the 70s by Egypt, the growing conflict between Iran, its proxies and the United States and Israel since 1979, the former attacks of the Houthis on economic maritime routes, the increase in Somali pirate activity near the Horn of Africa, the Islamic instability following the wave of anti-regime protests that swept North Africa and the Middle East since early 2011, and the growing awareness of the possibility of environmental disasters in narrow waterways.
Maritime bottlenecks in Egypt and the Middle East are not just geographical features; they are critical points that influence regional stability, economic health, and security. Addressing these vulnerabilities is essential for ensuring safe and efficient maritime trade in the region.
Even Saudi's diversion of its exports through the Red Sea still does not solve the bottlenecks in Bab el-Mandeb nor the Sueze Canal:
"Aramco’s Red Sea Lifeline: How the East-West Pipeline Became Saudi Arabia’s Only Oil Export Route"
by Abdul Mohammed
March 4, 2026
https://houseofsaud.com/aramco-east-west-pipeline-red-sea-yanbu-hormuz-bypass/
There are several practical solutions to solve this global pressure gage.
1) Extend the Saudi pipeline from the Red Sea to the Med. Sea.
2) Develop alternative energy sources in cooperation with Germany and Japan who are leading the pack in the development of hydrogen energy.
3) Safe nuclear energies.
4) Utilize existing clean energies like the sun, waves, hydroelectric and wind.
I looked at a Google map of the Musandam Peninsula. I am not an engineer, but I have been through the Panama Canal.
How about a joint effort by the Omanis and the USA and the Kuwaitis , the UAE and the Qataris to build a canal across the peninsula?