Geopolitical instability now moves quickly through energy markets, shipping routes and national economies. For energy-importing states, even a temporary disruption at a major transit route can produce immediate supply and price pressures. The Strait of Hormuz is especially important because it is the only maritime outlet from the Persian Gulf to the Gulf of Oman and the wider Arabian Sea. Any prolonged disruption to this route would therefore create significant challenges for energy-importing economies.[1]
The 2026 Middle East crisis turned this structural dependence into a direct strategic risk. Around one-quarter of the world’s seaborne oil trade and about one-fifth of global LNG supply passed through the narrow waterway between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula.[2] Pakistan’s reliance on Gulf oil and LNG meant that disruption in the strait could raise import costs, delay cargoes and create shortages without Pakistan itself being directly targeted.
