What If Iran Tries to Close the Strait of Hormuz?

Iran’s government has said it’s reserving all options to defend itself after the US joined Israel’s bombardment of the country’s nuclear sites. One way it could pressure its enemies to relent would be to block or effectively close the Strait of Hormuz to shipping.

This narrow waterway at the mouth of the Persian Gulf handles about a quarter of the world’s seaborne oil trade. So if Iran were able to deny access to the giant tankers that ferry oil and gas to China, Europe and other major energy consuming regions, it would send oil prices shooting higher and potentially destabilize the global economy.