Global shipping is constrained by geography.
Massive oil tankers and cargo ships – carrying over 90 percent of global trade flows by weight – converge in narrow straits. The result: The world’s key shipping lanes are often crowded.
As a researcher who has focused on strategic maritime chokepoints for over 15 years, I appreciate the vital importance of these waterways – not only economically, but also politically.
This geostrategic significance came into fresh focus when Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani recently threatened to close the Strait of Hormuz following the Trump administration’s decision to leave the Iran nuclear deal.Read More…
