[News Terms] What It Means: The 'Hormuz Strait' Where an Oil Tanker Seizure Was Attempted

The 'Hormuz Strait' is a narrow strait connecting the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula.

The name originates from the small Iranian island of 'Hormuz' located in this strait. The Persian Gulf is home to Middle Eastern oil-producing countries such as Saudi Arabia, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and it is a crucial maritime route through which crude oil exported by these countries must pass.

The Korean-flagged oil tanker "Hanguk Chemiho" being seized by vessels belonging to the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps in the Gulf region on January 4, 2021 (local time).
[Photo by Tehran AP/ Yonhap News]

The width of the Hormuz Strait is about 50 km, with a minimum width of 39 km, and the depth is around 100 m, with a maximum depth of approximately 190 m. To the north are Iranian territories including the islands of Qeshm, Larak, and Hormuz, while to the south lies the Musandam Peninsula, which belongs to Oman.

Despite the narrowness of the shipping lane, the volume of vessel traffic is very high, accounting for about 30% of the world's crude oil exports, making it a frequent site of conflict. Due to the narrow maritime passage, control or blockade of this area threatens global oil supply and significantly impacts international oil price fluctuations.

Following the Iran-Iraq War in the 1980s and the Gulf War from 1990 to 1991, various large and small conflicts have continued into the 2000s, and recently tensions between the United States and Iran persist. South Korea also imports most of its oil through this maritime route and has dispatched the Cheonghae Unit, a combat force, to ensure the safety of its transport vessels and expatriates.

On the 5th (local time), according to the UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) and the Associated Press (AP), Iran attempted to seize two oil tankers belonging to the American company Chevron near the Hormuz Strait, but the U.S. Navy prevented this. The U.S. Navy's 5th Fleet stated, "The Iranian Navy attempted to seize two commercial oil tankers legally passing through international waters and fired shots at one vessel," adding, "The U.S. Navy responded immediately to prevent the seizure."

In the Hormuz Strait, a Chevron oil tanker was seized by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) in April, and in January 2021, the South Korean chemical tanker 'Korea Chemie' was also seized by the IRGC but was released after negotiations.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.