Can Iran Close the Strait? Iran has long asserted that it can shut down the Strait of Hormuz. While the strait can't be "closed" in the traditional sense - like shutting a road -

The Strait of Hormuz is both a vital passage point and a permanent point of tension. As long as the world depends on Oil from the Persian Gulf, its security will remain a major geostrategic concern. If Iran were to cross the red line, the consequences would not be limited to barrels of Oil, but the global economic balance could be shaken.