Why the Strait of Hormuz Matters to Pakistan
Fareena Abbas
Islamabad:The reported closure of the Strait of Hormuz by Iran has triggered what many analysts are calling an economic and energy shockwave across the global system.
As one of the world’s most critical maritime chokepoints, the strait carries nearly 20 per cent of global energy flows and a significant share of international trade. Any disruption in this corridor immediately reverberates through global markets, and the latest escalation has already pushed oil and gas prices sharply upward in multiple economies.
For energy-import dependent states like Pakistan, the consequences are immediate and severe. Rising global prices of petroleum products are translating into higher domestic fuel costs, intensifying inflationary pressure on households and industries.
Given that Pakistan conducts nearly 90 per cent of its trade through sea routes and relies heavily on Gulf imports for energy, the disruption highlights a structural vulnerability in its economic security architecture.
In response to the evolving maritime risk environment, the Pakistan Navy launched Operation Muhafiz ul Bahr (“Protector of the Sea”) on March 9, 2026. The operation is defensive in nature, designed to ensure uninterrupted maritime trade flows and safeguard Sea Lines of Communication (SLOCs) at a time of heightened regional instability.
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According to official statements, the primary objective of the operation is to secure Pakistan’s energy and commercial supply chains. The Navy has intensified escort operations for merchant vessels, particularly oil tankers, navigating vulnerable maritime corridors including the Arabian Sea and wider Gulf approaches. These missions are being conducted in coordination with the Pakistan National Shipping Corporation, ensuring continuity of critical imports.
One of the early missions under the operation involved the safe passage of two tankers carrying over 100 million liters of oil from Fujairah to Karachi, marking an operational milestone in Pakistan’s maritime security response.
The focus, according to security officials, remains strictly on defensive escort and risk avoidance rather than escalation, with Pakistan deliberately avoiding direct operational engagement in the Strait of Hormuz itself.
Strategically, the operation underscores the importance of maritime infrastructure such as the Karachi Port and Gwadar Port, both of which are critical to Pakistan’s trade and energy security. Ensuring their uninterrupted operation is now central to national economic stability.
The broader implications of the crisis extend beyond Pakistan. Modern geopolitics increasingly revolves around control of supply chains, maritime chokepoints, and energy corridors rather than traditional battlefield confrontations. In this context, naval power has re-emerged as a decisive instrument of state influence.
Strategic thinkers such as Alfred Thayer Mahan long argued that control of sea routes determines global power. The current situation appears to reinforce this theory: states that can secure maritime trade routes gain not only economic stability but also geopolitical leverage.
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Historically, naval supremacy played a central role in shaping imperial power structures, and similar dynamics are now reappearing in a more complex, multipolar world.
From Pakistan’s perspective, Operation Muhafiz ul Bahr represents more than a tactical deployment. It reflects a broader recognition that national security today extends beyond borders and battlefields into oceans, trade routes, and energy corridors.
Even with limited resources, efficient deployment and strategic coordination can yield significant security outcomes.
However, the situation also raises an important policy question: how prepared are states like Pakistan for sustained disruptions in global chokepoints? If instability in the Strait of Hormuz continues, Pakistan may be compelled to further expand its maritime posture, increase naval readiness, and deepen coordination with commercial shipping stakeholders.
Ultimately, the crisis underscores a defining reality of the contemporary world: power is no longer measured solely by military strength, but by the ability to secure supply chains, protect economic flows, and manage hybrid threats that combine geopolitics with economics.
In this evolving environment, Pakistan’s maritime response highlights both its vulnerabilities and its strategic awareness. Whether such measures can evolve into long-term resilience will depend on sustained investment in naval capabilities, energy diversification, and regional diplomatic stability.
The blog is the writer’s opinion, it may or may not adhere to the organization’s editorial policy.
