Dr. Hasan Yaser Malik
In maritime domain, a chokepoint refers to a narrow passage along a waterway that is critical for the movement of vessels and their goods. These chokepoints are often natural features, such as straits or channels, which connect larger bodies of water, like oceans seas or gulfs. They are vital for global trade because they often represent the shortest or most efficient routes between major ports or regions. A few of the vital chokes points sitting in the Muslim Territorial Waters have been historically dominated by the Muslim admiralties. In maritime history on one hand Hugo Grotius is remembered only for his book ‘Mare Liberum’ where as great Muslim explorers like Ibn Battuta and Zheng He has been ignored. Western historians where they have projected the colonist like Christopher Columbus as an explorer of America. Unfortunately they have also tried to project the great Mediterranean Sea Loin Khari-Udin Barbarossa as The King Pirate even through cartoons. Khari-Udin Barbarossa, dominated the Mediterranean Sea so well that even after three hundred years of his death the U.S President Joy Moris signed the “Treaty of Commerce and Navigation” with Turkish Sultan Emir Aali Pasha on 25 Feb 1862 which was ratified on Jun 5, 1862 In Western Indian Ocean impact of Omani navy is traceable since 807 to 824 AD during the reign of Imam Ghassan Bin Abdullah. Omani domination continued until the arrival of Portuguesa from 1624 to 1649 AD. However Omani navy regained the control of Western Indian Ocean from 1650 to 1856 AD until it became a British Protectorate during the Colonization era. Chinese Muslim Admiral Zheng He (Jang Ha) during the reign of 3rd Ming Emperor Zhu Di prepared a fleet of 317 ships and 30,000 men and conducted seven vogues from China to Mozambique from 1405 to 1433 AD. He defeated the Sri Lankan king and Pirates of Malacca during his admiralty. Since 9th century during various pre-colonial, colonial and post-colonial eras the chokepoints points have been under the domination of various powers and even in recent scenario where in apart from Panama Canal all the chokepoints are sitting in the Muslim Territorial Waters are being contested to be influenced or dominated for geopolitical interests, Strait of Hormuz and Bab El-Mandeb are point in case that too along the Fifth Island Chain. The present scenario of vital chokepoints are mentioned below:
Strait of Hormuz (Iranian and Omanian Territorial Waters)
Strait of Hormuz offers passage from the Persian Gulf to Arabian Sea, 21% of global petroleum liquids pass through this vital artery. Asia’s energy security and the stability of oil prices depend on the free flow of merchant vessels through this chokepoint. Since the U.S-Israel offence on Iran starting on 28 Feb 2026 the passage through Hormuz has been affected and is being controlled by Iran. The Strait of Hormuz primarily dominates the trade of hydrocarbons between Middle East to Far East and China and Bab-Mandeb dominates the trade of hydrocarbons to Europe to America.
Bab El-Mandeb Strait (Part of Yamani, Eritrean and Djibouti Territorial Waters)
Bab el-Mandeb Strait links the Mediterranean to Arabian Sea. Approximately 12% of all seaborne trade including 4.5 million barrels oil passes through this chokepoint daily. Bab el-Mandeb facilities the internal trade of Middle East’s goods and hydrocarbons to Europe and America. Owing to its strategic location, and the Strait’s history of piracy, the U.S., China, France, Italy, China, Japan, and Germany possess military bases in Djibouti. Just imagine if the recent U.S-Iran War scenario continue and Iran also use its influences over Yemen to block the Bab El-Mandeb in that case apart from ME, Asia, Europe and America will also suffer the direct economic crunch hence leading to forming of new diplomatic and military alliances.
Strait of Malacca (Indonesian and Malaysian Territorial Waters)
Serves as a boundary among the Pacific and Indian Ocean. Malacca is an 800 km channel between the Malay Peninsula and the Indonesian island of Sumatra. At its narrowest point, near Singapore, it contracts to just 2.7 km barely wider than the length of a modern container ship. Through this passage flows the lifeblood of Asian economies: oil, gas, containers, and raw materials traversing between the Indian and Pacific Oceans. Approximately 25-30% of all global maritime trade passes through Malacca over 100,000 vessels annually as of 2025. Approximately 16 million barrels of oil per day, representing the majority of Middle Eastern energy exports to East Asia. Japan imports approximately 80% of its oil through Malacca; South Korea, 70%; China, over 80%.
The strait handles roughly three times the volume of the Suez Canal and five times that of the Panama Canal. On any given day, over 300 vessels transit the strait. The total value of cargo transiting annually approaches $5 trillion, roughly equivalent to one-third of global seaborne trade value. Approximately 80% of China’s oil imports, over 10 million barrels per day transits through and over 60% of China’s total seaborne trade Malacca. Between 2000 and 2006, Malacca was the world’s most pirate-infested waterway, with over 150 attacks in the peak year of 2000.
Suez Canal (Egyptian Territorial Waters) Manmade
Suez Canal provides entry to Mediterranean Sea from Red Sea. Suez Canal bypasses Africa, making it the quickest sea route between Asia and Europe. Between 10% and 12% of global trade transits through the Suez Canal, including around 30% of all cargo container ships. The Suez is also home to 16 undersea cables, making it one of the most important nodes in the global telecommunication system. Approximately 17 % of the world’s internet traffic travels along these cables. On 21 March 2021, the Ever Given, a 400-meter-long containership traveling from Malaysia, to Rotterdam became lodged in the canal obstructing all traffic for six days. By 28 March 2021, over 400 ships were waiting to navigate the canal amounting to USD $1 billion of direct economic damage daily.
Strait of Gibraltar (Moroccan, Spaniard and British Territorial Waters)
Strait of Gibraltar is one of the most strategically significant and heavily monitored waterways on the planet. It forms the only natural maritime link between the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea, physically separating the continents of Europe and Africa by just 14.2 kilometres at its narrowest point. Named after the Rock of Gibraltar, which itself traces its origins to the Arabic Jabal-e-Ṭāriq meaning “Tariq’s Mount,” this 58-kilometre-long strait has served as a critical corridor for trade, military movement, and human migration for thousands of years. As of 2026, the Strait of Gibraltar remains one of the busiest and most consequential maritime chokepoints in the world. With over 300 vessels crossing every single day and handles more than 10% of global maritime trade valued at approximately $1.1 trillion annually. Approximately 3.3 million barrels per day (20 % of European oil imports).
Bosphorus Strait (Turkish Territorial Waters)
Bosphorus Strait links Black to Mediterranean Sea. It serves as a vital shipment source for grain, and fertilizer. Russian and Ukrainian nitrogenous fertilizer exports accounted for 28% of the global market. Black Sea is currently a theatre of war between Russia and Ukraine. However when Ukraine was allowed to resume grain shipments via the Black Sea, global food prices dropped almost 20%, highlighting the macroeconomic impacts of chokepoint on global food security.
Panama Canal (Panamian Territorial Waters) Manmade
Panama Canal facilitates movement from the Atlantic to Pacific Oceans. It is principal route for movement of agricultural goods from Western to Eastern hemisphere. Presently 6% of global maritime trade flows through it.
Hydrocarbon of Indian Ocean Littoral Muslim Countries
It will be relevant to understand that apart from the chokepoints, the chokepoints surrounding countries, which are predominantly the Muslim and own 75 per cent of global oil reserves which transits through these chokepoints. Indian Ocean littoral Muslim countries possess the highest reserves per cent with KSA owning 18.4, Iran 9, Iraq 8.5, Kuwait 6, UAE 5.9, Kazakhstan 1.93, Oman 1.3, Qatar 1.15, Malaysia 0.52, Indonesia 0.26 and Bahrain 0.20 per cent. Natural Gas is consumed as 24 per cent of global energy utilization and Indian Ocean Littoral Muslim countries possess 46.79 per cent of total gas reserves out of which ME alone has reserves 34.8 of worldwide gas. Major countries possessing natural gas include Iran 16.27, Qatar 12.5, UAE 5.9, KSA 5.9, Iraq 1.8 and Turkmenistan 9.89 per cent. Location of the chokepoints within in the Muslim territorial waters along with combination of possession of hydrocarbons brings in the Muslims countries to position of geopolitical strength. The example of Iran to dominate the Strait of Hormuz and influence Strait of Bab El-Mandeb consequent to U.S-Israel attack over it since 28 February 2026 is a point in case.
The author is Ph.D. in International Relations, Chartered Member with Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transportation (UK), Fellow Member with National Foundation for Environment Education & Research and also associated with Maritime Centre of Excellence.
