While President Trump has offered political risk insurance and Navy escorts for tankers navigating the Strait of Hormuz, it still remains one of the most difficult waterways in the world to defend.
The big picture: The Strait, which carries roughly 25% of the world's seaborne oil supply, is approximately 21 nautical miles wide at its narrowest point, but the designated shipping lanes are far small...
The narrative presents the Strait of Hormuz as a flashpoint where geopolitical tensions, economic stakes, and military vulnerabilities collide. The strongest version of this argument highlights Iran’s asymmetric capabilities—shore-based missiles, fast attack craft, and potential Chinese-supplied cruise missiles—as a credible threat to global oil flows, regardless of U.S. naval superiority. The framing underscores the strait’s strategic importance and the limitations of conventional deterrence in...