Iran has shut the Strait of Hormuz to commercial shipping, a brazen escalation that threatens a fifth of the world’s daily oil supply. Britain has placed its special forces on standby, defence sources confirmed on Tuesday.
The strait, a narrow 33-kilometre channel between Iran and Oman, is the world’s most important oil chokepoint. Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps announced the closure at 0600 local time, citing “environmental hazards”. Shipping insurers have suspended cover for vessels in the area.
The move comes after weeks of rising tension over Iran’s nuclear programme and its proxies in Yemen. Whitehall sources said the UK’s Special Boat Service and the Special Air Service have been placed at high readiness. Downing Street called an emergency Cobra meeting for Wednesday morning.
“The Strait of Hormuz is an international waterway,” the Foreign Secretary said in a statement. “Any attempt to close it is a violation of maritime law and a direct threat to global economic stability.”
The Royal Navy maintains a permanent presence in Bahrain, and the US Fifth Fleet is headquartered there. But analysts note that the British naval contingent in the Gulf is limited to a single frigate and support vessel. “This is a diplomatic crisis first, a military one second,” said Sir John Kingman, former head of the UK’s diplomatic service.
The closure could raise oil prices by 30 per cent within days, according to energy consultants Wood Mackenzie. Several Asian refineries that rely on Gulf crude have already cut production. Japan and South Korea have called for an emergency meeting of the International Maritime Organization.
Iran has threatened to close the strait before, most recently in 2019 after the US withdrew from the nuclear deal. But analysts say the current move is more dramatic. “Tehran is testing the limits of Western resolve while distracted by Ukraine,” said Dr. Narges Bajoghli, an Iran specialist at Johns Hopkins University.
The UN Security Council is expected to hold closed-door consultations on Wednesday. Russia and China have not commented. Meanwhile, the European Union called for “immediate de-escalation” but offered no specific response. The Strait of Hormuz carries roughly 21 million barrels of oil per day, equivalent to 21 per cent of global consumption. Any prolonged closure would send shockwaves through the world economy, triggering recession fears in Europe and Asia.
For now, Britain is preparing for the worst. Sources said the special forces units are poised to protect British shipping or assist with evacuation of embassy staff if needed, though no such order has been given.
