Iran declared the Strait of Hormuz closed on 20 June 2026 and UK drivers could feel it at the pump within weeks. The 21-mile waterway between Iran and Oman carries a fifth of the world's oil and when it jams, British petrol prices follow.
Tehran says it shut the Strait because Israel had broken its agreement with the United States. Washington disputes it: US Central Command says Iran doesn't control the Strait and that commercial traffic is still flowing, with dozens of ships transiting the day of the announcement. The strait had already been effectively closed for much of the year after February's conflict, briefly reopening in mid-June before Tehran declared it shut again.
