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Fortune
Fortune
Business
Jordan Blum

Venezuela has the world's largest proven oil reserves, but it can’t solve for the Strait of Hormuz ‘math problem’

Smoke rises from the direction of an energy installation in the Gulf emirate of Fujairah on March 14, 2026. Smoke could be seen rising from the direction of a major UAE energy installation on March 14, in what appeared to be the latest strike targeting the Gulf's petroleum facilities hours after the US struck Iran's Kharg Island. (Credit: Getty Images)

As the Iran war drags deeper into its third week, one seemingly obvious solution for more energy is crude oil from Venezuela after the Trump administration seized former leader Nicolás Maduro and pressed for the reopening of the nation’s oil sector.

The glaring problem is more oil from Venezuela—or any other source around the world—represents only metaphorical drops in the global supply bucket compared to the massive losses each day from the Persian Gulf and the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz by Iran.

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