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Iran war bottlenecks vital waterway raising fears of a global energy crisis

War chokes the Strait of Hormuz, leaving hundreds of oil tankers and container ships stranded and raising alarms of a looming global energy shock and food shortages across the Gulf and beyond.

Copyright 2026 NPR

Jackie Northam is NPR's International Affairs Correspondent. She is a veteran journalist who has spent three decades reporting on conflict, geopolitics, and life across the globe - from the mountains of Afghanistan and the desert sands of Saudi Arabia, to the gritty prison camp at Guantanamo Bay and the pristine beauty of the Arctic.