Is the Strait of Hormuz open right now?

No. The Strait of Hormuz has been effectively closed to most shipping since February 28, 2026, when Iran closed it in response to US and Israeli strikes. Tanker traffic is running roughly 95% below pre-war levels. A limited number of Iran-authorised vessels — including a handful of LNG tankers in late May — have transited, and a US-Iran deal to reopen the strait has been negotiated but, as of late May 2026, remains unsigned and contested.

Why does the Strait of Hormuz matter for oil prices?

Before the 2026 closure, roughly 20% of the world's oil and a large share of its LNG passed through the Strait of Hormuz — there is no full-capacity alternative route out of the Gulf. Closing it removed a fifth of seaborne oil supply, which is why Brent and WTI have traded 40-50% above their pre-war levels since the crisis began, and why the disruption has cascaded into fuel shortages across more than thirty countries.

When did the Strait of Hormuz close and how long has it been shut?

Iran closed the strait on February 28, 2026. The closure has now run for nearly three months and counts among the longest and most severe chokepoint disruptions in modern energy history — the IEA has recorded cumulative supply losses exceeding one billion barrels.

Strait of Hormuz

Strait of Hormuz Status — Is It Open?

Live status of the world's most important oil chokepoint: effectively closed since February 28, 2026. Day count, tanker traffic, oil-price impact and what it means — updated daily.

Hormuz Updated May 26, 2026

Effectively closed to most shipping

Days since closure 87 since Feb 28, 2026

Tanker traffic ~95% ↓ vs pre-war baseline

Brent crude $103.54 May 22 settle · ~45%+ above pre-war

Pre-war oil share ~20% of world seaborne oil

The Strait of Hormuz is effectively closed. Iran shut the waterway to most shipping on February 28, 2026, in response to US and Israeli strikes, and it has stayed closed for nearly three months — tanker traffic runs roughly 95% below its pre-war level. A limited number of Iran-authorised vessels have transited, including a handful of LNG tankers bound for Pakistan, China and India in late May, but the strait is nowhere near normal flow. A US-Iran deal to reopen it has been negotiated but, as of late May 2026, remains unsigned and contested.

Why the Strait of Hormuz matters

Hormuz is the narrow sea passage between Iran and Oman that connects the Persian Gulf to the open ocean. Before the 2026 closure, roughly 20% of the world's oil and a large share of its liquefied natural gas passed through it — and crucially, there is no full-capacity alternative route out of the Gulf. A couple of pipelines (in Saudi Arabia and the UAE) can bypass a fraction of the volume, but most Gulf crude has nowhere else to go. That is what makes Hormuz the single most important oil chokepoint on Earth: closing it doesn't reroute a fifth of seaborne oil, it removes it.

The impact on oil prices and fuel supply

Removing that much supply at once pushed crude sharply higher. Brent and WTI have traded roughly 40-50% above their pre-war levels throughout the crisis, with Brent peaking around $126 in early May before easing on hopes of a deal. The shock did not stop at the oil price: it cascaded through global refining, aviation-fuel availability, retail gasoline, and national fuel reserves, producing confirmed fuel shortages across more than thirty countries and the largest single oil-supply disruption in IEA recorded history — cumulative losses now exceeding one billion barrels. This is the core idea the whole site tracks: a disruption at one node propagates through the entire energy system.

Is a reopening close?

A diplomatic framework to reopen the strait has taken shape — a US-Iran deal that was, over the weekend of May 23-24, described as "largely negotiated." But the situation remains volatile: the deal was not signed as expected, the United States resumed strikes on Iranian vessels in late May, and the two sides still dispute who controls the waterway and the terms of Iran's nuclear programme. Even if an agreement is signed, physical relief would lag: Gulf cargoes take roughly two months to reach end markets, so reopening the strait on paper is not the same as barrels arriving at refineries and forecourts. The honest read is that the crisis is closer to an exit than at any point since February, but it is not over.

How the crisis unfolded

Feb 28Iran closes the Strait of Hormuz to most shipping after US and Israeli strikes; the war begins.

Apr 8A short-lived two-week ceasefire allows limited safe passage; it later breaks down.

Apr 13The US adds a counter-blockade of Iranian ports — both Gulf maritime corridors are now shut.

May 16The IEA reports cumulative supply losses exceeding one billion barrels — the largest disruption in its records.

May 23-24A US-Iran deal to reopen the strait is described as "largely negotiated"; a handful of LNG tankers transit.

May 25-26The deal stalls unsigned; the US resumes strikes on Iranian vessels. The strait remains effectively closed.

Live tracking

The day count and crude prices above update daily from the GEF data layer. For the live tanker-traffic map see marine traffic and the chokepoints tracker; for the week-by-week analysis see the risk analysis briefings; and for the downstream fuel shortages the crisis has caused, see the global shortages map.