Iran Conflict Disrupts Strait of Hormuz, Impacting Global Fuel Supplies

Shipping through the Strait of Hormuz has fallen sharply amid military strikes and reprisals. Analysts warn the Iran conflict has disrupted passage through the Strait of Hormuz, impacting global fuel supplies.

Why traffic collapsed

About a fifth of the world’s oil and gas normally moves through this narrow waterway. More than 20 million barrels of oil and petroleum liquids transit it each day.

Since US-Israeli strikes on Iran began in late February, shipping has largely stopped. Daily traffic is reported to be down roughly 95 percent.

Iranian retaliatory attacks have kept many tankers idle. Some vessels tied to Pakistan, China and India have been allowed through.

Supply chain effects

Tankers staying put caused storage facilities to fill. Some producers paused output because of the disruption.

The impact has reached beyond price rises. Several countries now face temporary shortages of fuels and refined products.

Europe

Airlines warned of jet fuel risks for May and June. Ryanair chief executive Michael O’Leary made the warning on Sky News.

Italy imposed temporary fuel limits at four airports. Pierluigi Di Palma, head of the Italian Civil Aviation Authority, linked this to Easter travel.

Scandinavian carrier SAS canceled at least 1,000 flights in April. The airline cited rising aviation fuel costs.

In France, nearly 18 percent of petrol stations reported some fuel shortfalls. That figure came from junior energy minister Maud Bregeon.

United Kingdom

The UK has seen isolated pump outages but no broad supply collapse. Retailer Asda warned of temporary shortages late in March.

Allan Leighton, Asda’s executive chair, said high demand had affected some pumps. Former BP executive Nick Butler urged government contingency planning.

Americas

Peru faced a gas pipeline rupture and war-related supply problems. Authorities activated emergency measures and travel advisories were issued.

Cuba remained affected by long-running supply barriers. Restrictions on oil deliveries began in January under previous US policy changes.

In the United States, the average gasoline price exceeded $4 per gallon recently. The figure is the highest since 2022, according to the AAA.

Asia

South Koreans bought large quantities of bin liners, amid fears of naphtha shortages. Naphtha is a feedstock for polyethylene and derived from crude oil.

In India, a gas shortfall closed ceramic plants in Gujarat for almost a month. Vietnamese state media reported airlines planning to reduce services.

The Philippines declared a national energy emergency. President Ferdinand Marcos cited an imminent danger of critically low energy supplies.

Australia and Africa

Australian authorities urged calm after more than 600 service stations ran dry. Energy minister Chris Bowen reported 410 stations without diesel and 193 out of petrol.

South African motorists faced long queues and localized outages from excess demand. Mauritius imposed energy-saving rules after a March shipment failed to arrive.

What to watch next

• Whether shipping levels through the Strait of Hormuz return to normal.
• Movements in jet fuel and petrol availability across affected countries.
• Actions by governments to ration, boost production, or secure alternate supplies.

Filmogaz.com will continue to monitor developments and report updates on supply disruptions and policy responses. Readers should expect evolving details as the situation changes.