Strait of Hormuz

Drone strikes, refinery shutdowns, tanker disruptions, and halted LNG production have heightened concerns about broader supply risks.

While physical damage to energy infrastructure has so far been limited, analysts caution that a prolonged conflict could drive prices higher even as OPEC+ proceeds with planned incremental supply increases.

A recent episode involving three, allegedly Iranian, vessels and a British-flagged tanker near the Strait of Hormuz is just one of the recent events of this nature. This analysis looks at these events, the threat they pose, and how the strategy to protect oil flow from the Persian Gulf is evolving.

Reports 20 June that Iran shot down a US Navy drone over the Strait of Hormuz—the global oil market’s most critical transit point—exacerbated tensions in the region following a pair of attacks on oil tankers in the Gulf of Oman just a week earlier.