Chokepoint Guide
Persian Gulf
The world's oil export hub — politically contested waters
Overview
The Persian Gulf (also called the Arabian Gulf) is a shallow inland sea of the Indian Ocean, bounded by Iran to the north and northeast and by Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Iraq, Bahrain, Qatar, the UAE, and Oman to the south and west. It is approximately 990 kilometers long and up to 340 kilometers wide, with an average depth of only 50 meters — making it unusually shallow for such strategically critical waters. The Persian Gulf is the single largest source of seaborne crude oil exports in the world.
Strategic Importance
The Persian Gulf is the export gateway for Saudi Arabia (the world's largest crude oil exporter), Iraq, Kuwait, the UAE, Qatar, and Iran. Combined, these nations account for approximately 30% of global crude oil production. All exports exit through either the Strait of Hormuz or overland pipelines (which can handle only a fraction of the volume). Qatar exports approximately 77 million tonnes of LNG per year — about 22% of global LNG supply — almost entirely via the Persian Gulf and Strait of Hormuz.
Key Facts
~30% of global seaborne crude oil originates here
Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Kuwait, UAE, Qatar, and Iran are all littoral states
Average water depth is only 50m — shallow enough to make mining and submarine operations complex
The IRGCN operates extensively in these waters using fast-attack craft
Bahrain hosts the US Navy's Fifth Fleet and Combined Maritime Forces (CMF) headquarters
The 1987–88 Tanker War was fought largely in Persian Gulf waters
Multiple subsea pipelines and loading terminals make infrastructure particularly vulnerable
Current Risk Assessment
The Persian Gulf remains a persistently high-risk environment due to IRGCN harassment of commercial vessels, the possibility of Iranian retaliation for Western sanctions, and proximity to conflict zones in Yemen and Iraq. Iran has demonstrated the capacity and willingness to lay naval mines in Persian Gulf waters and to seize foreign-flagged tankers. The shallow depth limits the effectiveness of some defensive countermeasures and concentrates vessel traffic in predictable corridors.
Historical Context
The Persian Gulf has been a site of maritime conflict for decades. During the Iran-Iraq Tanker War (1984–1988), both sides attacked neutral oil tankers, leading to the US Navy's Operation Earnest Will. After the Gulf War (1990–91), Iraq's oil exports resumed through Kuwait and the Gulf. The 2003 Iraq War disrupted Iraqi oil exports. Iran's seizure of the British tanker Stena Impero in 2019 and the MSC Aries in 2024 are the most recent in a long pattern of IRGCN interference with commercial shipping.