Hormuz at War: Gulf Oil at Risk as Strait Tensions Escalate
Rising US–Israel and Iran strikes at sea around the Strait of Hormuz threaten a potential oil spill and environmental damage, with about 1.76 million cubic metres (roughly 11 million barrels) of oil aboard waiting or passing tankers—enough to meet a significant share of world demand—while hundreds of ships await transit and Gulf coastal ecosystems and desalination-dependent communities face elevated risks.