Iran's parliament unanimously passed a resolution to close the Strait of Hormuz, the world's main oil shipping route, in response to US airstrikes on Sunday. The final approval of this proposal will now be given by the Supreme National Security Council.
America's air attack has caused great damage to Iran's nuclear sites in Natanz, Fardo and Isfahan.
The Strait of Hormuz connecting the Persian Gulf and the Arabian Sea between Iran in the north and Oman and the United Arab Emirates in the south is an important sea route for international trade and shipping. It is considered as the biggest checkpoint for crude oil trade.
According to the US Energy Information Administration (EIA), about 20 percent of the world's oil and 20 percent of liquefied natural gas are transported through this narrow passage. Every day, about 20.9 million barrels of oil and related products go to different places in the world, including India, China, Japan, and South Korea.
Iran threatened to close the route after Israel attacked its military and nuclear facilities. Since the oil of the major oil producing countries like Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Kuwait, Qatar is exported from here, any disruption in this may cause problems in the global oil supply. As a result, the price of oil can touch the sky, experts warn. According to JP Morgan's analysis, if the Strait of Hormuz is closed, oil prices could reach $120 per barrel.
Iranian MP Mohammad Hassan Asfari said the proposal was a security strategic option. He mentioned that it will be used according to the situation without implementing it in the beginning.
Washington did not directly respond to this, but the White House said it was closely monitoring the situation and said it was taking steps to ensure regional trade freedom.
