The Strait of Hormuz: What It Is, Where It Is, and Why It Matters

Of all the vast oceans and seas that cover our planet, no single waterway holds more influence over the global economy than a narrow, 21-mile-wide channel of water separating Iran from the Arabian Peninsula. Every day, a silent, steady procession of the world's largest supertankers navigates this passage, a liquid pipeline carrying a fifth of the entire world's oil supply.  This is the Strait of Hormuz, the world's most important energy chokepoint and its most dangerous flashpoint. While it may seem like a distant geographical feature, the…