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Oil does not depend solely on how much is produced. It also depends on how it is transported from extraction centers to consumer markets.
The Strait of Hormuz is one of the main connection points in that system. During 2025, approximately 20 million barrels per day of crude oil and petroleum products passed through the strait, about 25% of global maritime oil trade. Around 80% of those volumes had Asia as their destination.
Strategic importance increases because alternatives are limited. The IEA estimates that only between 3.5 and 5.5 million barrels per day could be redirected via alternative pipelines, a fraction of the volumes normally moved through Ormuz.

A rare energy outage is rarely confined to the oil sector. The impact can move along a chain of costs that links transportation, industry, food, commerce, and consumption.
When the availability of oil and its derivatives declines, companies face higher fuel and logistics costs. Refineries may also have to operate with restrictions when crude supply is scarce or there are infrastructure problems. In 2026, the IEA recorded major disruptions to international oil flows and a reduction in refining activity during disruptions associated with the conflict in the Middle East.

When a conflict reaches a strategic region, its effects can far exceed the military battlefield.
The Strait of Hormuz is a key point for international energy transportation. Disruptions along this route have significantly reduced maritime traffic and affected oil flows and other energy products.
The economic chain can be direct:
Conflict → transportation → energy → prices → inflation → markets.
When a strategic route becomes harder to use, logistics costs rise and supply restrictions may emerge. The EIA notes that disruptions to oil flows through the strait were associated with greater volatility and higher crude prices during 2026.