Strait of Hormuz Facts for Kids

The Strait of Hormuz is a narrow waterway that connects the Gulf of Oman in the southeast with the Persian Gulf. It's a very important shipping route for oil. On its northern side is Iran, and on its southern side are the United Arab Emirates and Musandam, which is a small part of Oman that is separated from the rest of the country.

This strait is only about 21 nautical miles (39 km) wide at its narrowest point. A huge amount of the world's oil, about 20%, travels through this strait every day. This makes it a key place for global trade.

Key Events in the Strait
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Key Events in the Strait

Over the years, the Strait of Hormuz has been the site of several important events, especially involving naval forces.

Operation Praying Mantis (1988)

On April 18, 1988, the U.S. Navy and Iranian forces had a one-day battle in and around the strait. The U.S. called this battle Operation Praying Mantis. It happened because Iran had placed a mine that damaged a U.S. Navy ship, the USS Samuel B. Roberts, a few days earlier. During the battle, U.S. forces sank or damaged several Iranian ships.

Iran Air Flight 655 Incident (1988)

On July 3, 1988, a sad event occurred when an Iran Air passenger plane, an Airbus A300, was shot down over the strait. This happened by mistake by the United States Navy cruiser USS Vincennes. All 290 people on board the plane were killed.

Submarine Collision (2007)

On January 8, 2007, the nuclear submarine USS Newport News was traveling underwater and accidentally hit a large Japanese oil tanker called M/V Mogamigawa. This happened south of the strait. Luckily, no one was hurt, and no oil spilled from the tanker.

Tensions and Naval Activities (2008)

US-Iranian Naval Disputes

In late 2007 and early 2008, there were several close encounters between Iranian speedboats and U.S. warships in the Strait of Hormuz. U.S. officials said the Iranian boats were acting in a way that seemed to bother or challenge their ships. Iranian officials, however, disagreed with this view.

Iran's Defense Policy Statements

On June 29, 2008, a commander from Iran's Revolutionary Guard, Ali Mohammed Safari, stated that Iran might close the Strait of Hormuz if Iran were attacked by other countries like Israel or the United States. Closing the strait would cause big problems for the world's oil supply. The U.S. said that closing the strait would be seen as an act of war and would not be allowed.

Increased Naval Presence

In July and August 2008, many U.S. and other allied navy ships gathered near the coast of Iran. This was part of an exercise called Operation Brimstone. By August 11, more than 40 U.S. and allied ships, including several large battle groups, were heading towards the Strait of Hormuz.

Naval Ship Collision (2009)

On March 20, 2009, two United States Navy ships, the submarine USS Hartford and the transport ship USS New Orleans, collided in the strait. Fifteen sailors on the USS Hartford were slightly injured. The collision also caused a fuel tank on the USS New Orleans to break open, spilling about 25,000 US gallons (95 m³) of diesel fuel into the water.

Tensions Over Oil Exports (2011–2012)

On December 27, 2011, Iran's Vice President, Mohammad-Reza Rahimi, said that Iran would stop oil from passing through the Strait of Hormuz if other countries tried to limit Iran's own oil exports.

Then, on January 3, 2012, Iran warned that it would take action if the U.S. Navy moved an aircraft carrier back into the Persian Gulf.

A few days later, on January 7, 2012, the United Kingdom announced it would send a very advanced warship, the Type 45 destroyer HMS Daring, to the Persian Gulf. The British government said this move had been planned for a long time.

However, on January 9, 2012, Iran's Defense Minister, Ahmad Vahidi, said that Iran would not close the Strait of Hormuz after all.

By January 23, several countries had sent their warships to the Persian Gulf and Arabian Sea to form a group against Iran's earlier threats to close the strait.