Hormuz Strait Closure Triggers Largest Oil Supply Disruption in History

reducing worldwide oil deliveries by an estimated 11 million barrels per day, according to a ranking published by Visual Capitalist and reported by Iraq's Shafaq News on Tuesday.

The closure of the Strait of Hormuz in March 2026 has caused the largest disruption to global oil supplies in history, 

The disruption far exceeds previous oil supply shocks caused by wars and geopolitical crises over the past five decades.

According to the report, the 1978–79 Iranian Revolution ranks as the second-largest oil supply disruption, reducing global supplies by approximately 5.6 million barrels per day.

The 1973 Arab oil embargo and Iraq's invasion of Kuwait in 1990 are tied for third place, with each cutting global oil supplies by around 4.3 million barrels per day.

The 1980–81 Iran-Iraq War reduced oil supplies by about 4.1 million barrels per day, followed by the 2003 Iraq War, which disrupted approximately 2.3 million barrels per day, and the 2011 Libyan civil war, which cut supplies by roughly 1.5 million barrels per day.

The Strait of Hormuz is one of the world's most important energy transit routes, carrying nearly 20 percent of global oil supplies. As a result, its prolonged closure has had a significant impact on international energy markets.

According to Shafaq News, the waterway has remained effectively closed since the outbreak of the U.S.-Israel war on Feb. 28, following restrictions imposed by Iran. Although the strait briefly reopened after a U.S.-Iran memorandum of understanding took effect on June 18, it was closed again as renewed military tensions escalated.

Tehran, however, maintains that the Strait of Hormuz remains under Iran's control.