Iran has moved to disrupt global energy supplies by targeting tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, a key oil transit route, as its conflict with the United States and Israel intensifies.
Regional sources said Tehran activated the strategy on February 28 after the killing of Ali Khamenei, seeking to counter its military disadvantage by threatening the world’s energy lifeline.
Roughly one-fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas normally moves through the strait, but traffic has plunged sharply since the conflict began, according to United Nations data.
Iranian officials have long warned they could restrict shipping in the narrow waterway if confronted militarily, turning the Gulf’s main export corridor into a powerful economic pressure point.
Security analysts say the plan reflects Tehran’s asymmetric warfare strategy, which relies on missile and drone strikes to disrupt shipping and raise costs for Western forces.
Ali Vaez said Iran hopes economic disruption will pressure U.S. President Donald Trump to reconsider the conflict.
The campaign is being coordinated by senior Iranian figures including Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf and Ali Larijani, following Khamenei’s death.
Analysts say the strategy echoes tactics used during the Iran–Iraq War, when attacks on oil tankers made the Gulf one of the world’s most dangerous shipping routes.
Iran’s objective, experts say, is to extend the conflict beyond the battlefield by inflicting economic shock on global markets and political pressure on Washington.
By threatening one of the world’s most vital energy corridors, Tehran is betting that economic pain will force its stronger adversaries to reconsider the war.