Maritime chokepoints have become instruments of geopolitical coercion. Examine with reference to the Strait of Hormuz and its implications for India's energy security.

About one-fifth of the world's oil and gas passes through the Strait of Hormuz [1]. Shipping there has been disrupted since early March 2026. Speakers at the UN Security Council said the disruption has turned this shared waterway into a "bargaining chip" [2]. This shows how a narrow strait can be used to put pressure on other countries, and how import-dependent India pays the price.

Hormuz as an instrument of coercion

• Control from geography: The strait lies between Iran, Oman and the UAE [3]. Iran claims the strait lies within its territorial waters and defends its restrictions on shipping. More than 2,000 vessels face curbs and more than 20,000 seafarers are stranded [2].
• Access with conditions: Council members rejected tolls and discriminatory conditions on passage. The IMO chief said there is "no legal basis" for tolls in international straits [2]. UNCLOS Part III guarantees transit passage, the right of ships to pass through such straits [4].
• A blocked UN: A draft resolution from the Gulf states on safe navigation won 11 votes. It was then vetoed by China and Russia [3]. The issue moved to the General Assembly, which can debate but cannot enforce [5].
• Pushback against coercion: Panama warned that no maritime route should be used as an "instrument of pressure or coercion" [2].

Implications for India's energy security

• Heavy import dependence: India imports about 88% of its crude oil. Before the conflict, only about 55% of these imports came from outside Hormuz [6].
• Small emergency stock: Strategic reserves at Visakhapatnam, Mangaluru and Padur cover only 9.5 days of demand. The total cover of 74 days counts on oil companies' working stocks [7].
• Resilience shown: Crude imports from outside Hormuz rose to about 70%. India now buys from 40 countries, up from 27 in 2006-07. There was no shortage of petrol or diesel [6].
• Beyond oil: Fertiliser ships must also cross the strait [8], which links the chokepoint to food security.
• Price effects: Even when supply holds, higher freight, insurance and crude prices push up inflation and the current account deficit.

Hormuz shows that geography becomes a weapon when the UN cannot enforce its rules. India has turned diversification into resilience, but its 9.5-day strategic stock is still small. Three steps would advance SDG-7 and India's strategic autonomy: filling and expanding the reserves, cutting oil demand through ethanol and flex-fuel vehicles [9], and defending freedom of navigation under UNCLOS through naval presence and diplomacy.