Iranian Parliament Approves Closure of Strait of Hormuz After U.S. Strikes

AFP

The Strait of Hormuz.

Amid escalating tensions with the United States and Israel, Iran’s parliament has approved a measure to close the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz in response to recent U.S. military strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities, state-run Press TV reported on Sunday, 22 June 2025.

The decision is not yet final, as the country’s Supreme National Security Council, Iran’s top security authority, is required to finalise the decision.

The prospect of a shutdown has rattled global energy markets, already jittery since Israel launched surprise airstrikes across Iran on 13 June 2025. The attacks, and subsequent US involvement, have triggered fears of disruptions to maritime oil traffic through the strait, which connects the Persian Gulf with the Gulf of Oman.

The Strait of Hormuz is one of the world's most critical chokepoints, through which a fifth of global oil and gas supply flows.

It connects the Persian Gulf to the Arabian Sea and the Indian Ocean. The narrow channel, approximately 33 km wide at the narrowest point, separates Iran (north) from the Arabian Peninsula (south).

But shipping lanes in the waterway are even narrower - 3 km wide in each direction, making them vulnerable to attacks and threats of being shut down.

The bulk of oil exports from regional powerhouses - Saudi Arabia, Iraq, the UAE, Qatar, Iran, and Kuwait - must transit this narrow waterway. In the past, it was the West - chiefly the US and Europe - that stood most exposed to disruption in Persian Gulf energy flows, but today it is China and Asia that would bear the brunt of any closure.

Hayyan Abdul-Ghani, Deputy Prime Minister for Energy Affairs and Minister of Oil, stated on Saturday, 21 June 2025, that "the departure of foreign staff and experts from any site does not constitute a withdrawal, but rather the rotation of personnel who have been operating on a shift basis for years."

He further clarified that oil export operations remain stable at present. However, "if the Strait of Hormuz were to be closed, the Ministry of Oil has alternative export plans in place."

The minister also noted that the Ministry has completed development operations and increased output in several fields, ensuring that production continues without disruption.



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