5 facts
Before the Portuguese conquest, the city of Hormuz on the island was one of the most prosperous trading hubs in the medieval world, described by Marco Polo as 'a great and noble city' in the 13th century. Merchants from Arabia, India, China, and East Africa converged there to trade spices, silk, pearls, and horses.
The Strait of Hormuz is not just an oil chokepoint — it is also the only exit for Qatar's massive liquefied natural gas (LNG) exports. Qatar is the world's largest LNG exporter, supplying Europe and Asia. Any closure of the strait would simultaneously cut off both global oil and LNG supply, a double economic blow without precedent.
In 1515, Portuguese explorer Afonso de Albuquerque conquered Hormuz Island and built a fortress there, making it a key node in Portugal's Indian Ocean trade empire. The Portuguese controlled the strait and taxed all passing trade for over 100 years until the Safavid Persians, aided by the British East India Company, expelled them in 1622.
Hormuz Island, which gives the strait its name, is a geological marvel covered in vivid red iron-oxide soil so striking that it looks like a Martian landscape. The island also features salt caves, colorful mineral-streaked cliffs, and a rainbow mountain. Locals use the red soil as a spice in food and as a natural paint.
Despite controlling a fifth of the world's oil supply, the Strait of Hormuz narrows to just 33 kilometers (21 miles) at its tightest point. The actual navigable shipping lanes are even narrower — two corridors of just 3.2 km each, separated by a 3.2 km buffer zone, carrying traffic in opposite directions simultaneously.
