War in the Strait of Hormuz: The Oil Route Pakistan Depends On Is Under Attack

There is a narrow strip of water between Iran and Oman that most Pakistanis have never seen, but every Pakistani pays for. The Strait of Hormuz carries the oil that runs our country. This week, ships started sinking in it — and I think we should all be paying attention. On October 13, the Singapore-flagged container ship GFS Pride was struck by an unidentified projectile in the strait. The ship caught fire and sank while being towed. All 21 crew members were evacuated safely, but a second vessel was also hit and only just reached safety. Then on Wednesday, Iran's Revolutionary Guard navy claimed that a ship carrying more than 2,500 containers had struck a naval mine on what Iran called an "illegal and dangerous route" through the strait. It was the first time Iran had reported a mine sinking during this war. Meanwhile the Houthis in Yemen — backed by Iran — have been attacking Saudi Arabia. Their military spokesman, Brigadier General Yahya Saree, warned this week that attacks on Saudi airports and oil infrastructure will continue, telling civilians and shipping companies to stay away from the targeted sites. The Saudi-led coalition responded by intercepting a missile over the Madinah region and striking oil facilities west of Yemen's capital Sanaa. The United States is not sitting still either. CENTCOM publicly refuted Iran's claims, saying the GFS Pride was hit by an Iranian projectile and that more than 40 commercial ships still moved through the strait in the last 24 hours. And President Trump said on October 8 that he would not resume strikes on Iran before the November 3 midterm elections — which, honestly, sounds less like strategy and more like a calendar. Now let me explain why this matters to a student in Bannu. Pakistan imports its oil. The UN has already warned that disruptions in the strait could threaten food security in parts of Asia and Africa, because fertilizer shipments move through the same waters. Oil still flows — about 12 million barrels a day moved through the strait this October despite the attacks. But every incident pushes energy prices up, and as I wrote in my last piece, when the world burns, our prices rise. The petrol at Rs 392 a litre and the IMF's 9.9% inflation warning are not separate stories from the ships sinking near Hormuz. They are the same story. Pakistan has also taken a side. Islamabad pledged full support for Saudi Arabia under the Makkah defense pact this week. I understand the loyalty — Saudi Arabia has stood by Pakistan many times. But pledges in a widening war are not free. Iran's parliament speaker, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, said this week that Tehran must prepare for war even while negotiating with Washington. When both sides talk about war and negotiations in the same breath, you know the situation is dangerous. A friend asked me why I care about ships I will never see. My answer is simple: the war in the Strait of Hormuz is not happening over there. It is happening in our petrol prices, in our inflation, in the budget of every family in this country. The strait is narrow. The consequences are not.