Iran says the Strait of Hormuz is closed and it will fire on any ship trying to pass, Iranian media has reported.
About a fifth of the world’s total oil consumption passes through the strait.
The Strait of Hormuz lies between Oman and Iran. It links the Gulf north of it with the Gulf of Oman to the south and the Arabian Sea beyond.
It is 21 miles (33 km) wide at its narrowest point, with the shipping lane just 2 miles (3 km) wide in either direction.
More than 20 million barrels of crude, condensate and fuels passed through the strait daily last year on average, data from analytics firm Vortexa showed.
OPEC members Saudi Arabia, Iran, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, and Iraq export most of their crude via the strait, mainly to Asia.
Qatar, among the world’s biggest liquefied natural gas exporters, sends almost all of its LNG through the strait.
Meanwhile, Germany’s foreign minister has said that an attack on a NATO member state could not be ruled out following a drone strike on a British air base in Cyprus.
“Yes, that danger exists, it cannot be dismissed,” Johann Wadephul told public broadcaster ZDF when asked whether NATO countries could be targeted as the conflict involving Iran escalates.
The British air force base at Akrotiri in Cyprus was attacked late Sunday with a drone of the Iranian Shahed type, officials said.
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Two additional unmanned aerial vehicles were intercepted later in the day, according to government sources.
Cyprus is a member of the European Union but not part of NATO.
The United Kingdom says it is engaged in a defensive military mission in the Middle East against Iran.
Germany has also reserved the right to take military defensive measures.
Wadephul said in a separate interview with Deutschlandfunk that he understands this to mean German soldiers defending themselves if attacked.
He stressed again on ZDF that Germany would not participate in any military confrontation.
“We are also not making military facilities available for that purpose,” he said.
He added that efforts must continue to resolve the conflict with Iran through negotiations.
The United States and Israel launched a large-scale offensive against Iran on Saturday, sparking a regional escalation as Tehran fired missiles at U.S. bases in several Gulf states.
Reuters/NAN
