IRIA News

4 minute read

Iran’s Parliament voted on June 22, 2025, in favor of closing the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most vital oil shipping lanes, following U.S. military strikes on three of Iran’s key nuclear sites.

The Iranian government has not formally confirmed the closure of the strait, but Iranian state-affiliated media outlets reported that the motion has received parliamentary support. The final decision, however, lies with Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, which has yet to issue an official statement.

Esmail Kosari, a member of the parliament’s National Security Commission, stated, “For now, [parliament has] concluded we should close the Strait of Hormuz, but the final decision in this regard is the responsibility of the Supreme National Security Council.”

The reported strike by the U.S. military on nuclear facilities, including the Fordow enrichment site, has triggered a wave of internal political pressure in Tehran. Iran has often used the threat of closing the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow waterway between Oman and Iran through which nearly 20% of the world’s oil and gas flows, as a strategic countermeasure against Western economic and military pressure.

The strategic chokepoint

The Strait of Hormuz is located between Iran and Oman and serves as the only sea passage from the Persian Gulf to the open ocean. At its narrowest, the strait is only 33 kilometers wide, with shipping lanes just 3 kilometers wide in each direction. Its geopolitical significance cannot be overstated; any disruption to traffic through the strait could send global energy markets into turmoil.

Analysts and diplomats alike are closely watching Tehran’s next move. While closure of the strait would represent an extraordinary act of defiance, it could also provoke immediate military and economic retaliation from the U.S. and its allies.

US urges China to intervene

In a notable diplomatic development, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has called on China to use its influence to persuade Iran against shutting down the strait. Speaking at a media interview, Rubio said, “A move to close the strait would be a massive escalation that would merit a response from the U.S. and others.”

The U.S. appeal to Beijing underscores China’s increasingly central role in Middle Eastern affairs and its deepening ties with Tehran. China is Iran’s largest trading partner and a major buyer of Iranian oil, and it has previously helped broker regional dialogues, such as the Saudi-Iran normalization deal in 2023.

“The Chinese have economic and diplomatic leverage,” said a senior U.S. official familiar with the outreach. “They don’t want a war in the Gulf any more than we do. They need the oil, too.” As of now, the Chinese officials in Beijing or the Chinese Embassy in Washington have not commented on Rubio’s statement.

Global consequences

A closure of the Strait of Hormuz would send shockwaves through the global economy. Oil prices surged in early Asian trading last week amid fears of a potential blockade. Industry experts warn that even a temporary disruption could inflate global oil prices by 20-30%, further straining economies already grappling with post-COVID recovery and inflationary pressures.

The United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia, two key U.S. allies and leading oil exporters, are also monitoring the situation. While neither has issued formal statements, regional military readiness levels have reportedly increased.

Iran’s calculated strategy

Iran’s use of the Strait of Hormuz as a geopolitical bargaining chip is not new. Since the 1980s, Tehran has repeatedly threatened to close the waterway during periods of heightened tension, including during the U.S. “maximum pressure” campaign under former President Donald Trump, who is again in office following his reelection in 2024.

What distinguishes this moment from past flashpoints is the combination of recent U.S. airstrikes on nuclear infrastructure. While the Supreme National Security Council retains ultimate authority, the parliamentary vote reflects mounting political pressure on Iranian leaders to respond forcefully to perceived American aggression.

Diplomatic possibility

Despite the military escalation, Rubio signaled that the U.S. remains open to diplomacy. “We are prepared to talk with Iran,” he noted, though he emphasized that Washington would not tolerate threats to international shipping or the broader energy market.

That statement opens the door, however narrowly, to a potential diplomatic solution to the escalating crisis, given that Tehran is willing to engage. Much may now hinge on whether China can play a moderating role in backchannel negotiations.

The coming days will be critical. If Iran proceeds with closing the Strait of Hormuz, the move could ignite a major military and economic crisis in the region and beyond. While the final decision is pending with Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, the signals from Parliament suggest that Tehran is prepared to raise the stakes unless it perceives a change in the West’s posture.