The United States and its allies remain the primary guarantors of the Strait of Hormuz, a key waterway that would play a major strategic role in any conflict between the United States and China.

The strait, which connects the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Gulf, is one of the world's main oil chokepoints, with about 20 million barrels of oil passing through it each day, or about 30% of global oil trade.

China's energy and economic security rides on the Strait of Hormuz and Gulf nations.

China is the world's largest importer of crude oil, having brought in about 11.3 million barrels of crude oil each day in 2023.

Beijing has also been bypassing US sanctions to import petroleum from Iran, which exports about 1.5 million barrels of oil a day through both overland pipelines and tankers that traverse the strait.

The vast majority of these petroleum exports go to China, where small, independent refineries subsequently refine Iranian crude petroleum into oil that can be sold and traded.

Iran typically offers these refineries below-market-rate prices on petroleum as part of a strategy aimed at balancing the risks they incur by skirting US sanctions.

Protecting global commerce

The United States and its partners have long been prepared in the event that access to the Strait of Hormuz is blocked, a threat that Tehran has made repeatedly over the years.

These persistent threats, which imperil global energy security, have prompted the United States and allies to find alternative, reliable sources of oil.

For example, Saudi Arabia can redirect billions of dollars of critical energy supplies in the case of a crisis with Iran or China.

The trans-Saudi Petroline connects Abqaiq, in the east, to the western port of Yanbu and can export up to 5 million barrels per day, or about 20% of the Strait of Hormuz's daily flow, across 1,200km of land.

The United States is also prepared to secure the free flow of commerce throughout the Strait of Hormuz.

Last August, it deployed the Bataan Amphibious Ready Group (ARG) and the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) to the Strait of Hormuz and surrounding waters to support deterrence efforts there.

The deployment came after the Iranian navy attempted to seize two merchant vessels in the Strait of Hormuz and the Gulf of Oman.