The latest confrontation between the United States and Iran has drawn global attention to a critical weakness in international trade: the dependence of the world economy on a small number of maritime chokepoints. When one of these strategic passages is disrupted, the effects can spread rapidly, affecting energy markets, manufacturing centers and consumers thousands of miles away.
The Wall Street Journal examined these global trade routes in its coverage of the world’s major chokepoints, highlighting how disruptions at key maritime corridors can create widespread consequences. Among the routes under scrutiny is the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow waterway whose importance to the global energy system was underscored during the recent conflict.
The Strait of Hormuz connects the Persian Gulf with international markets and serves as a vital channel for energy shipments. About one-fifth of the world’s oil shipments and a significant portion of global liquefied natural gas supplies pass through the passage. The route is particularly important for Asian economies, including South Korea and Japan, which rely heavily on steady energy flows.
During the U.S.-Iran conflict, shipping activity through the strait was reduced, sending energy prices higher around the world. The disruption affected industries and consumers far beyond the Middle East, with consequences reaching Indian factories and gas stations in Louisiana.
A peace agreement between the two countries initially raised expectations that the waterway would reopen fully. However, Iran later announced that it had closed the Strait of Hormuz again on Saturday, citing Washington’s failure to halt clashes in Lebanon. The U.S. military disputed the announcement, stating that maritime traffic continued to move through the passage.
Even before the latest dispute over the closure, experts warned that restoring normal shipping patterns could take weeks following peace negotiations. The uncertainty surrounding the route has reinforced concerns about other maritime corridors that serve as essential pathways for global commerce.
The Strait of Malacca is another critical route whose importance has been highlighted by the Hormuz crisis. Located between the Indian and Pacific Oceans, the strait provides the fastest maritime route for energy supplies moving from the Middle East to Asia. It is the world’s largest oil transit chokepoint, with 23.2 million barrels of oil passing through its waters each day during the first half of 2025, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.
China is especially dependent on the Strait of Malacca. During the first half of last year, the country imported nearly 8 million barrels of crude oil each day through the waterway. The route’s significance has also drawn attention following comments in April from Indonesian Finance Minister Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa, who suggested that Indonesia could consider charging tolls for ships using the channel. Indonesian officials later stepped back from those remarks.
Across the Atlantic, the Panama Canal remains a major passage for global trade. The man-made waterway connects the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans and plays a central role in shipping between U.S. ports. According to the U.S. Federal Maritime Commission, the canal handles around 40% of U.S. container traffic, representing approximately $270 billion in annual trade.
The Panama Canal has also become linked to wider geopolitical tensions between the United States and China. President Trump called for the United States to regain control of the canal and criticized Beijing’s involvement in the corridor. Before the Panama Supreme Court voided the contract in January, Hong Kong-based conglomerate CK Hutchison operated two ports located at opposite ends of the canal.
Other major maritime routes face their own geopolitical and logistical pressures. Egypt’s Suez Canal provides a key connection between Asia and Europe, carrying large volumes of energy supplies and container traffic. The canal is the third-largest oil transit chokepoint in the world, with nearly 5 million barrels of crude passing through daily in the first half of 2025, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.
The strategic importance of the Suez Canal was demonstrated in 2021, when the 1,300-foot container ship Ever Given became stuck in the waterway for six days. The incident disrupted global supply chains and highlighted how a single blockage in a major shipping route can affect international commerce.
The Turkish Straits, which connect the Black Sea and the Mediterranean, represent another crucial link in global trade. These waterways allow oil from countries such as Russia and Kazakhstan, along with grain from Ukraine, to reach international markets. Since the beginning of the Ukraine war, the straits have been affected by geopolitical tensions, including the impact of Western sanctions on Russian oil shipments that contributed to congestion in 2022.
The Bab el-Mandeb Strait, located between Yemen and Djibouti, is also a significant passage for global energy flows. Connecting the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden, the waterway serves as an important route for Middle Eastern oil shipments. Iran threatened this spring to close the strait with assistance from its Houthi allies in Yemen, adding another layer of uncertainty to a region already facing heightened tensions.
The recent turmoil surrounding the Strait of Hormuz has brought renewed attention to the network of narrow waterways that sustain global trade. From the Middle East to Asia, Europe and the Americas, these maritime corridors remain central to the movement of energy and goods, making their stability a continuing focus for governments, businesses and markets worldwide.
