What is the Persian Gulf?: The Persian Gulf is a shallow inland sea between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula, roughly 990 kilometres long. It is the world's most important oil transit corridor, carrying about 20 per cent of globally traded crude via the Strait of Hormuz.
How much oil goes through the Persian Gulf?: Roughly 20 per cent of globally traded oil transits the Persian Gulf via the Strait of Hormuz, equivalent to about 21 million Barrels Per Day.Source: editorial
Why is Iran threatening Gulf desalination plants?: Gulf States depend entirely on desalinated seawater; summer temperatures exceed 50C and there is no alternative freshwater supply. Threatening desalination plants gives Iran leverage beyond oil markets if the US attacks its Energy infrastructure.Source: event
Is the Persian Gulf safe for shipping in 2026?: Iran's IRGC is operating a toll system on the Strait of Hormuz and has threatened to mine the entire Gulf. Tanker charter rates quadrupled to $800,000 per day and most war-risk insurers have withdrawn cover. CENTCOM has turned around 44 vessels carrying 69 million barrels.Source: event
Which countries border the Persian Gulf?: Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, the UAE and Oman (via the Strait of Hormuz). These eight states hold over half the world's proven oil reserves.
How much oil is being blocked at the Strait of Hormuz?: As of 30 April 2026, CENTCOM reported 44 commercial vessels, 41 of them tankers, carrying 69 million barrels of crude had been turned around at sea under the US blockade since the war began.Source: event

Background

A shallow body of water roughly 990 kilometres long, the Gulf sits between Iran's southern coast and the Arabian Peninsula. Its littoral states — Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar and the UAE — hold over half the world's proven oil reserves. Roughly one fifth of globally traded oil transits its waters through the Strait of Hormuz.

The Persian Gulf is the theatre of the 2026 conflict between Iran and the United States, with the IRGC operating a toll system on the Strait of Hormuz and Iran's Defence Council threatening to mine the entire waterway . The IMO formally invoked UNCLOS in April 2026 to reject the tolls as illegal under international law , while a 51-nation Coalition convened at Northwood to draft Hormuz rules of engagement without US or Gulf-state signatures. By 30 April 2026, CENTCOM reported that 44 commercial vessels — 41 of them tankers — carrying 69 million barrels of redirected crude had been turned around at sea under the US blockade. The UAE's exit from OPEC effective 1 May has placed its approximately 5 million bpd production capacity outside quota discipline, adding a new uncoordinated supply variable to Gulf energy dynamics at a moment when Brent has settled at $123 a barrel.

The Gulf has been a flashpoint in every major regional conflict since the Iran-Iraq War's Tanker War phase of 1984 to 1988. Iranian threats to Gulf desalination and power grids have raised stakes beyond oil, imperilling the fresh water supply of states where summer temperatures exceed 50 degrees and populations depend entirely on desalinated seawater. EU gas stocks fell to 28% in April 2026, a multi-year low, as the blocked Strait dragged refill rates below prior-year pace.

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