FT: US blockade of Hormuz risks global fuel shock

A US naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz would trigger fuel shortages and fresh spikes in oil prices, according to forecasts cited by the Financial Times based on American officials and former diplomats.

The report says that any new US operation against Iran would further destabilise global energy markets, with particular pressure on oil flows through one of the world’s most critical shipping routes.

Analysts warn that a full closure of the strait would drive crude prices higher than in previous disruptions and intensify international pressure on Washington.

Jennifer Kavanagh, director of military analysis at the Washington-based think tank Defence Priorities, argues that such a scenario would also reflect growing frustration in the White House, suggesting that President Donald Trump has exhausted other policy options.

She also noted that a maritime blockade of the Hormuz corridor would create complications not seen during earlier energy restrictions involving Venezuela, particularly over how US forces would handle commercial tankers from allied countries and vessels that have already paid transit fees to use the route.

By Aghakazim Guliyev