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Di exchange of missiles between Israel and Iran dey provoke fear for Nigeria and di whole world say Iran fit try to close di Strait of Homuz shipping lane, wey be di world most vital oil transit choke point.
Around one fifth of di world crude oil dey go through di channel wey dey only 40km wide for im narrowest point.
Iran fit consider closing di strait, according to di commander of Iran naval forces.
If Iran decide to close di strait, e go seriously affect Nigeria as dis go make crude oil to become scarce for di whole world.
Di price of crude oil go shoot up, meaning say Nigerians go gatz to pay more money pass as dem dey pay now to buy fuel.
And since di kontri dey mostly import fuel wey dem don already process from obodo oyibo, dat one sef go make di cost to dey even more expensive.
Former head of UK intelligence agency MI6, Sir Alex Younger, bin tell BBC say im worst case scenario include blockading access to di water: "Closing di Strait go obviously become very big economic palava unto di effect wey e go get on oil price."
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US Energy Information Administration (EIA) estimate say for di first six months of 2023 around 20 million barrels of oil na im bin pass through di strait per day.
Dat one equal to nearly $600 billion worth of energy trade per year wey dem dey transport through maritime routes.
Any disturb for di waterway fit cause significant delays to di delivery of oil to di world, wit immediate hike on prices.
However, analysts dey warn say e fit get even more serious consequence and dat na say e go make di conflict between Israel and Iran worse.
Dis one fit draw oda kontris, including United States, wey dey depend on oil wey dem import from Gulf kontris.
Strait of Hormuz na one length of water wey dey between Iran and Oman.
Im entrance and exit dey around 50km wide, and about 40km for im most narrow point for middle.
However, dis strait only dey deep enof for mighty ships if dem centre demsef for middle of di water.
Maritime navigation charts assign one safe lane for ships wey dey enta di strait, safe lane for di ones wey dey come out of am, and buffer zone between di two – all specifically for heavy oil tankers.
In total, very big ships must to navigate di channel wey dey only about 10km wide.
As tankers dey pass enta di Persian Gulf, dem dey near di islands of Greater and Lesser Tunb – dis na territories wey dey cause quarrel between Iran and Arab kontris.
Many sabi pipo dey reason am say di must likely method wey Iran go use disturb shipping for dat strait na through military action.
Na so e happun during di ran-Iraq war from 1980 to 1988.
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Analysts say for Iran, closing Strait of Hormuz na wetin dem dey consider as a form of "deterrent power" – equivalent to having nuclear weapon.
Just as some kontris bin don dey opposed to Iran interest for military nuclear programme, major powers don tok many times say dem no go allow Tehran to use dia strategic geographical position to choke di world energy supply.
Experts don dey predict say Iran fit block di strait temporarily.
But many dey confident say United States and dia supporters go sharply re-establish flow of maritime traffic by using military means.
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One 2012 report by US Congressional Research Service suggest say Iran fit pursue gradual approach. Steps wey dem list include:
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For di Iran-Iraq war, Iran send Silkworm missiles against oil tankers plus put naval mines for di Gulf waters.
One of dis mines strike di USS Samuel B Roberts, wey make US military to revenge.
Iran bin fail to fully close di Strait of Hormuz, but majorly raise di price of shipping insurance premiums plus cause expensive maritime congestion for di Gulf exit.
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Two days before Israeli airstrike on Tehran kill Major General Hossein Salami, di den commander of Iran Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), bin visit naval units wey dey for Strait of Hormuz.
E bin describe di Persian Gulf and im surrounding areas as one of di Islamic Republic most critical defensive zones.
Specifically, im point to high-speed missile-launching vessels wey dey capable of travelling 10km in less dan three minutes.
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General Salami say dis fast attack craft, heavier combat vessels, and missiles na im dem go use for defensive operations.
Im also highlight anti-ship naval mines as "one of di most decisive weapons for naval warfare".
Salami say dem don expand di naval drones "in terms of range, capabilities, and mission diversity".
Experts dey say one of Iran most effective ways to stop di 3,000 or so ships wey dey pass di waterway each month go be to put mines using fast attack boats and submarines.
Iran regular navy and di Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy fit potentially launch attacks on foreign warships and commercial ships.
However, large military ships also fit become easy targets for Israeli or US airstrikes.
Iran fast boats dey most times get anti-ship missiles, and di kontri dey also operate many surface ships, semi-submersible craft and submarines.
Currently, maritime tracking websites wey dey use satellite imagery dey report movements of Iran military vessels near di kontri southern maritime borders.
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Research wey analytics company Vortexa show say Saudi Arabia dey export around six million barrels of crude oil per day through Strait of Hormuz – more dan any neighbouring kontri.
China, India, Japan, and South Korea dey among di top importers of crude oil wey dey pass along am.
Di EIA estimate say for 2022, around 82% of crude oil and condensates (low-density liquid hydrocarbons wey dey typically occur wit natural gas) wey dey leave di strait dey go Asian kontris.
On 16 April 2025, just three days before Israel missile strike Iran air defences, Iran official news agency IRNA quote South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol say 60% of of im kontri oil supply dey go through di Strait of Hormuz.
Di EIA say United States dey import around 700,000 barrels of crude oil and condensates from di strait per day – roughly 11% of im total oil import and 3% of im petrol consumption.
Europe total share of oil wey dem dey transport through di strait be like e dey less dan 1 million barrels per day.
As e be so, na Arab and Asian kontris go lose more from potential closure of Strait of Hormuz pass United States or European powers, wey don politically join Israel side for dis recent conflict.
Many Asian kontris get good or even close relationship wit Iran.
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China na one of di largest consumers of oil wey dey pass through Strait of Hormuz.
Most of dis oil, na Iran dey sell give China at prices below international market rates – dis na vital economic lifeline wey dey help Tehran cope wit crippling US sanctions.
As major consumer of Iran oil, Beijing dey highly unlikely to welcome any rise for oil prices or disturbance to shipping routes.
China fit to use dia full diplomatic weight to prevent any closure of dis vital energy corridor.
Anas Alhajji, na partner for energy consultancy Outlook Advisors, im tell tori pipo CNBC say closing di Strait of Hormuz go harm Iran supporters more dan dia enemies. "Dem [Iran pipo] no wan do sometin wey go wound dem first," im say.
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Di persistent threat to close Strait of Hormuz over di years, don make oil-exporting kontris for di Gulf region to develop alternative export routes.
According to one EIA report, Saudi Arabia don activate dia East–West pipeline, wey be one 1,200km-long line wey dey capable of transporting up to 5 million barrels of crude oil per day.
For 2019, Saudi Arabia temporarily repurpose one natural gas pipeline to carry crude oil.
United Arab Emirates don connect dia inland oilfields to di port of Fujairah wey dey Gulf of Oman through one pipeline wit daily capacity of 1.5 million barrels.
For July 2021, Iran inaugurate Goreh–Jask pipeline, wey dem plan to take move crude oil to Gulf of Oman.
Dis pipeline currently fit carry around 350,000 barrels per day – although reports dey suggest say Iran never do am yet.
Di EIA estimate say dis alternative routes fit collectively handle around 3.5 million barrels of oil per day – roughly 15% of di crude wey dem dey currently ship through di strait.
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