Disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz following the recent US blockade are now shifting attention to the Strait of Malacca, raising concerns over the stability of the world’s most critical oil transit routes that together handle nearly 44 million barrels per day (mb/d) of seaborne crude and products. The widening conflict is also drawing focus to how strategic sea lanes could increasingly be used as leverage points, bringing key routes beyond the Gulf into the risk zone.
The tensions which triggered on February 28, 2026, when the United States and Israel launched coordinated strikes on Iran, triggering a wider conflict across West Asia and retaliatory attacks on energy infrastructure and shipping routes. The escalation has since evolved into a regional standoff, with naval deployments and restrictions on key corridors affecting vessel movement.
Asia’s Vulnerable Lifeline
The focus is now on the Strait of Malacca, the world’s busiest oil transit route, which carries about 23.2 mb/d and serves as the primary gateway for crude shipments from the Middle East to Asia.
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The Strait of Malacca between Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore links the Indian and Pacific Oceans through a channel just 1.7 miles (2.7 kilometers) wide at its tightest point. It carries roughly 40% of global trade, including the bulk of oil flows from the Middle East to Asian economic powerhouses, making it a critical link in global supply chains.
According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), around 79.8 mb/d of oil is transported by sea globally, out of total supply of 104.4 mb/d, with a large share moving through a limited number of chokepoints.
At the centre of the disruption remains the Strait of Hormuz, which carries around 20–21 mb/d, or nearly one-fifth of global oil consumption. Shipping through the corridor has slowed sharply amid Iranian restrictions and a US naval blockade.
Before the conflict, Hormuz typically handled 80–100 cargo vessels a day (including crude and refined products, inbound and outbound). Since early March, crossings have dropped to single digits on several days, with flows stabilising at just 4–10 vessels daily in April, reflecting a sharp disruption in one of the world’s busiest energy routes.
The Iranian and US blockades of the Strait of Hormuz are reviving anxiety over the fate of Asia’s most crucial strategic bottleneck.
The disruption has altered shipping patterns across the Gulf, with tanker movement slowing, cargoes delayed and freight costs rising as vessels reroute or wait for clearance. Attacks on energy assets and heightened military activity have added to operational risks for shipowners and traders.
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Cascading Disruptions
Other chokepoints continue to support global flows. The Suez Canal and SUMED pipeline system carries around 4.9 mb/d, while the Bab el-Mandeb strait handles about 4.2 mb/d, linking the Red Sea to global shipping routes. The Danish Straits account for about 4.9 mb/d, the Turkish Straits about 3.7 mb/d, and the Panama Canal around 2.3 mb/d.
When disruptions hit primary routes, shipments are diverted via the Cape of Good Hope, which carries about 9.1 mb/d, though this adds to transit time and costs.
The network remains tightly linked. The Hormuz–Red Sea corridor including Hormuz, Bab el-Mandeb and the Suez system together handles over 30 mb/d, making it one of the most sensitive segments of global oil movement.
Asia remains the most exposed region. Around 84% of crude and condensate passing through Hormuz is destined for Asian markets, including India, China, Japan and South Korea.
While pipelines and alternative routes provide some flexibility, their capacity remains limited compared to maritime flows. As a result, disruptions across chokepoints are affecting shipping schedules, routing decisions and logistics costs.
TOPICSCrude oilcrude oil pricesThis article was first uploaded on April seventeen, twenty twenty-six, at zero minutes past eleven in the night.