By SHEDDY OZOENE
The conflict involving Iran, Israel and the United States has become one of the most needless and damaging wars of recent times. It has killed thousands of people, forced families from their homes, shaken the global economy and reminded the world that military power, no matter how strong, can never replace diplomacy.
The roots of the crisis go back many years. Israel has long seen Iran’s nuclear programme as a direct threat to its survival. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has repeatedly argued that diplomacy only gave Tehran more time to move closer to developing nuclear weapons. With Donald Trump back in the White House, Israel found an American president willing to support a much tougher approach. For Netanyahu, it provided an opportunity like none before, to ‘finish the job’.
When Israel launched major strikes against Iran on February 28, 2026, it eliminated the Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and targeted uranium enrichment facilities, missile production sites and senior military commanders. The United States later joined the campaign, saying the attacks were necessary to stop Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons and to protect American and Israeli security.
Iran rejected those claims, describing the attacks as illegal aggression. President Masoud Pezeshkian insisted that Iran did not want war but would defend its sovereignty and would not negotiate while under attack.
Iran responded with missile and drone attacks on Israeli targets, while American military facilities across the Gulf also came under fire. But Tehran’s most powerful weapon was not its missiles. It was its geography.
For Iran as a country, few places illustrate its strategic geographical value better than the Strait of Hormuz. This narrow stretch of water – about 167 km long with width varying from approximately 97 km at its widest point to just 39 km at its narrowest – connects the Persian Gulf to the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea. It is the only sea passage connecting the Persian Gulf to the open ocean, and around one-fifth of the world’s traded oil passes through it, making it one of the most important shipping routes on earth. It is without doubt one of the world’s most strategically important maritime chokepoints and for decades, it has served as a vital gateway linking the oil-producing Gulf states to markets in Europe, Asia and the Americas.
Straightforward, you might say. Well, not anymore.
Today, there is very little that is “strait” about Hormuz. The waterway that emerged the gamechanger for global oil shipping has now turned out an albatross for the global economy, instead. The relief it provided for the energy market has turned a burden since it became the biggest flashpoints in the rivalry between Washington and Tehran. Instead of simply carrying ships, it has become a powerful bargaining tool in a dangerous geopolitical contest.
Although Iran has not formally closed the Strait, repeated threats to shipping, increased naval deployments and military confrontations have created enough uncertainty to unsettle global markets.
As the only maritime outlet for several Gulf countries, including the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, and Iraq, it stands at a crucial intersection of global energy trade. The disruption to shipping through the Strait of Hormuz has now triggered significant energy supply shortages, sending global oil and gas prices soaring. And since it was weaponised in the ongoing conflict in which the US has sworn to bring Tehran to its feet, the effects on global stability have been as predicted. Oil prices have climbed, shipping insurance has become more expensive and many companies have delayed voyages because of the growing risks. Even countries with no part in the conflict are now paying more for fuel, transport and imported goods.
While diplomats search for ways to calm the crisis, the economic damage continues to spread far beyond the Middle East, with countries like Nigeria becoming innocent victims.
Like many oil-dependent economies, Nigeria has felt the effects of the Hormuz crisis. Higher global oil prices should, in theory, benefit an oil-producing country like Nigeria. In reality, ordinary Nigerians rarely enjoy those gains. Instead, the country pays more for refined petroleum products, pushing up the cost of fuel and other products. The result is something Nigerians understand all too well. Transport fares rise. Food becomes more expensive. Electricity costs increase as businesses spend more on diesel to power generators. Manufacturers pay more to move goods, airlines face higher aviation fuel costs and almost every extra expense is eventually passed on to consumers. The Hormuz nightmare is a powerful reminder that a war thousands of kilometres away can still empty the pockets of people who have no connection to the conflict. In today’s interconnected world, no economy is completely insulated from global events.
The Strait of Hormuz is no longer just a narrow waterway on the map. It has become a symbol of the dangerous mix of geopolitical rivalry, energy security and failed diplomacy. As world leaders trade blames, the global economy suffers, with no end in sight for the conundrum. President Donald Trump continues to insist that Iran is responsible for any disruption to shipping through the Strait, while Iranian leaders accuse the United States and Israel of creating the crisis and threatening one of the world’s most important energy corridors.
Both sides speak with confidence. Both insist they are defending their national interests. But one truth remains impossible to ignore. No missile has ever reduced the price of fuel. No bomb has rebuilt a destroyed home. No military victory has comforted a grieving family.The world has seen enough wars to know that diplomacy, however slow and frustrating, is always a better path than conflict. Wars destroy lives, weaken economies and leave ordinary people paying the highest price.The Strait of Hormuz, once a straight way to quicker shipping, has become somewhat of a weapon.
It has become a reminder that when nations choose force over dialogue, the consequences do not stop at the battlefield. They travel across oceans, through global markets and into the homes of ordinary people everywhere.
