The Straits of Hormuz are closed, blocking about 20% of oil shipments from reaching the global economy. But what does closed actually mean?

Punching Upwards, Episode 36 for 17 May 2026

Topics: Politics / War in Iran

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Routes through the Straits of Hormuz according to the Center for Strategic & International Studies (CSIS)

Routes through the Straits of Hormuz according to the BBC (BBC)

Credits

Thanks to Michael Mullan-Jensen, Evgeny Kuznetsov, Vlad A Gouf, Fadi Mansour, Bennet Piater, Eric and Sir Galteran for supporting this podcast financially and therefore making it possible for me to produce it!

See Also

* Punching Upwards 30: Aviation and the War in Iran

* Punching Upwards 26: Trump Falls Into the Smart Bomb Trap

Sources

* Confusion in the Strait of Hormuz, BBC World at One, 4 May 2026

* Tensions flare near Strait of Hormuz as one ship is seized and another is sunk, PBS News, 15 May 2026

* Trump pauses Hormuz plan 50 hours after he announced it - what happened?, The BBC, 6 May 2026

* Two India-bound LPG carriers exit Hormuz as BRICS gathers in New Delhi, Lloyd’s List, 15 May 2026

* Report: Vessel Captured off Fujairah is a Floating Armory, The Maritime Executive, 14 May 2026

* Chinese oil tanker exits Strait of Hormuz, heads for Zhoushan, data shows, Reuters, 13 May 2026

* Russian superyacht sails through Strait of Hormuz despite blockade, The BBC, 28 April 2026

* Tui Cruises says two of its ships passed through the Strait of Hormuz, Reuters, 19 April 2026

* Trump administration underestimated Iran war’s impact on Strait of Hormuz, CNN, 13 March 2026

* Iran begins laying mines in Strait of Hormuz, sources say, CNN, 10 March 2026

* Report: Two Types of Iranian Mines Detected in Strait of Hormuz, The Maritime Executive, 23 March 2026

* Maham 3 Seamine, Collective Awareness to UXO, undated

* Maham 7 Limpet Mine, Collective Awareness to UXO, undated

* The Strait of Hormuz in 8 Charts, Center for Strategic & International Studies, 22 April 2026

* There’s another big reason why shipping companies and insurers aren’t willing to risk the Strait of Hormuz, CNBC, 9 March 2026

* Iran threatens to close Strait of Hormuz over EU oil sanctions, The Telegraph, 23 January 2012

* West displays Gulf military power to defiant Iran, The Seattle Times, 25 January 2012

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