Could Iran block the Strait of Hormuz?
The final decision rests with the country's Supreme National Security Council.
The Iranian Parliament has reportedly approved a measure to close the Strait of Hormuz, a critical oil transit choke point, after the US bombed three nuclear sites in Iran, according to Iranian state media.
The final decision rests with the country's Supreme National Security Council.
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Iran has previously threatened to block the Strait when faced with Western pressure. But experts say the move doesn't make sense, as it's likely to hurt Iran itself, while exporters have other options to fall back on if it does.
The slim waterway between Oman and Iran connects the Persian Gulf with the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea.
Large volumes of crude extracted by OPEC countries such as Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait and Iraq from oil fields across the Persian Gulf region and consumed globally flow through the strait.
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