Economics
Trump’s War of Words With Iran Shines Spotlight on Vital Oil Route
- Strait of Hormuz handles about 30% of seaborne-traded crude
- Gulf Arab states can ship some oil by pipeline if Hormuz shut
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The war of words between U.S. President Donald Trump and his counterpart in Iran over oil exports and sanctions is shining a spotlight on the narrow, twisting conduit for about 30 percent of the world’s seaborne-traded crude.
The Middle East’s biggest oil exporters rely on the Strait of Hormuz, the passage linking the Persian Gulf with global waterways, for the vast majority of their crude shipments -- some 17.5 million barrels a day.