The Strait of Hormuz, “the jugular of the global economy," has become a useful bargaining chip for Iran.

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The Strait of Hormuz is a narrow waterway that lies between Iran and Oman. This 21 mile-wide passage supports 20% of the world’s oil supply. A closure of this waterway could send the global economy into a tailspin.

In recent months, several oil tankers have been seized, attacked and harassed. These oil tankers — and this narrow water passage — are at the center of the conflict between the US and Iran. It's a conflict that spans decades and has the potential to escalate in one of the world’s most important oil chokepoints.

Read more about the recent escalation between the US and Iran:
https://www.vox.com/world/2019/6/21/1...

Strait of Hormuz stats and details from the US Energy Information Administration:
https://www.eia.gov/beta/internationa...

More on the history of conflict between the US and Iran in the Strait of Hormuz in David Crist's novel, The Twilight War:
https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/bo...

Vox Atlas demonstrates where conflicts occur on a map and the ways in which foreign policy shapes a region. Watch all the episodes here: http://bit.ly/2SThVsf

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