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The Strait of Hormuz, “the jugular of the global economy," has become a useful bargaining chip for Iran. Become a Video Lab member! http://bit.ly/video-lab The Strait of Hormuz is a narrow waterway that lies between Iran and Oman. This 21 mile-wide passage supports 20% of the world’s oil supply. A closure of this waterway could send the global economy into a tailspin. In recent months, several oil tankers have been seized, attacked and harassed. These oil tankers — and this narrow water passage — are at the center of the conflict between the US and Iran. It's a conflict that spans decades and has the potential to escalate in one of the world’s most important oil chokepoints. Read more about the recent escalation between the US and Iran: https://www.vox.com/world/2019/6/21/18700857/us-iran-standoff-timeline Strait of Hormuz stats and details from the US Energy Information Administration: https://www.eia.gov/beta/international/regions-topics.php?RegionTopicID=WOTC More on the history of conflict between the US and Iran in the Strait of Hormuz in David Crist's novel, The Twilight War: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/307277/the-twilight-war-by-david-crist/9780143123675/ Vox Atlas demonstrates where conflicts occur on a map and the ways in which foreign policy shapes a region. Watch all the episodes here: http://bit.ly/2SThVsf Vox.com is a news website that helps you cut through the noise and understand what's really driving the events in the headlines. Check out http://www.vox.com. Watch our full video catalog: http://goo.gl/IZONyE Follow Vox on Facebook: http://goo.gl/U2g06o Or Twitter: http://goo.gl/XFrZ5H