The entrance to the Persian Gulf is a bottleneck in the global economy. Because there is only a few kilometers of narrow sea route leading in and out again – the Strait of Hormuz. If this passage is de facto closed due to the war in the Middle East, it will have far-reaching consequences – for oil exports, shipping safety and the profits of shipping companies. Answers to the most important questions on the topic:

Why is the Strait of Hormuz so important?

In 2024, ships carrying an average of 20 million barrels of crude oil passed through the Strait of Hormuz every day, almost 20 percent of global consumption. About a fifth of the world’s trade in liquefied natural gas (LNG) also passes through the strait – mainly outbound Qatar. The only alternative options for oil exports are two overland pipelines from Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. Together they can transport a maximum of 2.6 million barrels of oil per day, which is less than 15 percent of the volume by ship. Qatar, Kuwait, Iraq and Iran are therefore dependent on transport via the Gulf ports and thus through the strait.

Tankers lie off the coast of the United Arab Emirates. © Amr Alfiky/​REUTERS

How many ships are currently in the Persian Gulf?

Throughout Persian Gulf are currently located 20,000 sailors and 3,200 stranded ships. These include container ships, bulk carriers and tankers. According to the International Maritime Organization (IMO), there are also two cruise ships there with around 15,000 passengers. Some shipping companies are having difficulty rerouting ships carrying fresh and chilled food cargoes or live animals from the Persian Gulf to unload the cargo. Directly Around 500 oil and LNG tankers, as well as container ships, are stuck in front of the strait. Most are at anchor. The ports in the region are too dangerous as berths because there is critical infrastructure there, such as oil depots, which are subject to shelling.

At least 30 of ten German shipping companies are currently in the waters of the Gulf. These include two cruise ships with a total of around 7,000 passengers on board. The Association of German Shipowners (VDR) announced this at the request of ZEIT. These ships can currently hardly leave the Gulf because the only sea route to the open sea is through the Strait of Hormuz.

What problems do shipping companies face?

The IMO counted 12 attacks on merchant ships in the Middle East between March 1 and 11, in which at least eight people died and several were injured. The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) reported 17 incidents as of March 11. But neither the attacks nor the Iranian threats against all ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz are the sole reason why hardly any ships pass through the Strait. It is also because seven of the shipping industry’s leading liability insurers have withdrawn their protection from ships entering the area.

Some insurers charge significantly higher premiums for stays in the region. “In similar crisis situations, insurers have charged premiums of around 0.5 percent to sometimes over 10 percent of the ship’s value for war risk coverage – often for very short periods of time, such as just a few days of insurance coverage,” said Carsten Duif from VDR. For large merchant ships, this can quickly lead to six to seven-figure sums. To alleviate the lack of affordable insurance, the US government a $20 billion reinsurance agreement through the Development Finance Corporation, which covers war and political risks.

Higher insurance policies are driving up freight rates. Freight rates are the fees that shipowners receive for using their ships when they transport containers, bulk goods or liquids. These rates are influenced, among other things, by how many ships are available worldwide, which routes they can sail and how high the price of oil is at the moment.

Which ships still sail through the Strait of Hormuz?

Can international politics ensure more security?

French President Emmanuel Macron proposes securing the Strait of Hormuz with an international mission. This should be “purely defensive,” said Macron during a visit to Cyprus. Discussions about this with European and non-European partners have already begun. Specifically, the escort of tankers and container ships is planned “after the end of the hot phase of the conflict” in Iran. France’s President assured EU member Cyprus of his support. “If Cyprus is attacked, Europe will be attacked,” said Macron and announced the deployment of two more frigates to the Red Sea, where an EU mission has been underway since 2024 Shipping secured. Against the backdrop of the Iran War, France now has a total of eight frigates, two helicopter carriers and the aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle in use.

Italy also sent support: a frigate with more than 160 soldiers on board was sent to Cyprus to protect the EU partner country. The ship called Federico Martinengo has joined the multinational group around the aircraft carrier Charles De Gaulle connected.

How big is Germany’s oil reserve?

In November, Germany had a stockpile of 34.42 million tons of oil – enough for around 90 days. A large part of this is crude oil, which, according to the Federal Ministry of Economics, is stored primarily in northern Germany. Diesel, gasoline, heating oil and kerosene stocks, on the other hand, are distributed across Germany. The International Energy Agency and the European Union oblige its members to maintain oil stocks at all times that correspond to at least 90 days of their net imports
are equivalent to. The federal government recently reacted to the increased oil and fuel prices and released part of its oil reserves.