Iran’s Parliament has unanimously approved a dramatic proposal to close the Strait of Hormuz, the world’s most critical oil and gas shipping route, in direct retaliation for US airstrikes on Iranian nuclear facilities at Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan. The parliamentary decision represents a potentially catastrophic escalation that could trigger global economic chaos. However, final authority to implement the closure rests with Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, which has not yet issued a formal order to execute the blockade.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio immediately condemned the Iranian move as ‘economic suicide’ and warned that closing the strait would provoke a strong American and allied military response. He has urgently called on China to use its influence with Tehran to prevent the closure, emphasising Beijing’s heavy dependence on the waterway for oil imports. Oil prices have already begun spiking on international markets as shipping companies place their fleets on high alert, with analysts predicting prices could surge well above 100 US dollars per barrel if the blockade proceeds.
US military officials have placed forces throughout the region on heightened alert. The Pentagon is reportedly preparing for potential naval confrontations to keep the strait open, as any sustained closure would represent an existential threat to global energy security and economic stability.
The Iranian parliament’s decision represents the most serious threat to global energy supplies since the 1980s Tanker War, when both Iran and Iraq targeted commercial shipping during their prolonged conflict. Current tensions in West Asia have already disrupted international aviation and shipping patterns. Still, a Hormuz closure would represent an unprecedented challenge to the global economy at a time when energy markets remain volatile and geopolitical tensions continue escalating across multiple regions.
