Energy Weaponization: From Oil Embargo of 1973 to Blockage of Strait of Hormuz

In today’s world, strategic influence is not only wielded through military might but also through control of critical resources. One of the most effective instruments of power in the Middle East has always been energy and especially oil. An obvious case in point is oil embargo of 1973. It happened during the Arab-Israeli war where the Arab members of OPEC reduced oil exports to Western countries that were allied to Israel. The oil supply of the world fell to almost 5 million barrels/day and caused shortages in fuel, oil prices skyrocketed and stagflation ensued- inflation and stagnation at the same time. The embargo compelled the leading economy such as the United States, Japan and Western Europe to re-evaluate their energy reliance and policies.

It Is a similar trend that is being experienced in 2026. The Middle East has been the center of world energy flow especially via the Strait of Hormuz through which about 21 million barrels of oil pass per day-almost 20 percent of world petroleum. The current war between Iran, the United States and Israel have been a hindrance or a threat to this important passage. This shock is having a direct implication on the importers of oil like China, India, Japan and South Korea whereas the exporters like Saudi Arabia and Qatar are experiencing the indirect effects of disrupted shipment and revenue loss. Embargoes, tanker seizures and blockades demonstrate how energy has become a weapon of the new geopolitics.

The bigger picture has not changed. The Western nations have continued to favor Israel, even though the world community criticizes its expansionist interests and the quest to have a Greater Israel, which further contributes to the attitudes towards doublespeak in international relations. The world is not experiencing a mere simple oil embargo, as in the year 1973, but is experiencing a much worse situation where even the supply channels themselves are at risk.

The consequences are global. The slightest interference is raising the prices of oil, causing inflation and putting strain on the economies, especially in developing countries. The instability in the Middle East is no longer a local issue but it has a direct effect on the energy markets as well as the global economy.