Strait of Hormuz
The World's Most Important Oil Chokepoint
The narrow passage between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula through which one-fifth of global oil supply transits daily. Control of Hormuz means leverage over the world economy.
Chokepoints
The maritime straits and canals through which global trade and energy supplies must pass.
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Foundational
Strait of Malacca
Asia's Lifeline and Strategic Vulnerability
The narrow waterway between Malaysia and Indonesia through which nearly one-third of global maritime trade passes. For rising Asian powers, Malacca is both lifeline and potential stranglehold.
Taiwan Strait
The Most Dangerous Flashpoint on Earth
The 110-mile passage separating Taiwan from mainland China where the world's two greatest powers could collide. Control of the strait determines Taiwan's fate—and perhaps the future of the Indo-Pacific order.
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Bab el-Mandeb
The narrow strait connecting the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden, through which all shipping between Europe and Asia via the Suez Canal must pass. Control of Bab el-Mandeb determines access to the Red Sea corridor.
Bosphorus Strait
The narrow waterway dividing Europe and Asia, connecting the Black Sea to the Mediterranean. For Russia, it is the difference between a landlocked navy and a global one. For Turkey, it is a source of immense leverage.
Panama Canal
The artificial waterway linking the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans through Central America. Built by the United States, returned to Panama, and now subject to growing Chinese influence, the canal remains vital to global commerce and American hemispheric dominance.