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Inmilitary strategy, achoke point (orchokepoint), or sometimesbottleneck, is a geographical feature on land such as avalley,defile,isthmus orbridge, ormaritime passage through a criticalwaterway such as astrait, which anarmed force is forced to pass through in order to reach itsobjective, sometimes on a substantially narrowedfront and therefore greatly decreasing itscombat effectiveness by making it harder tobring superior numbers to bear. A choke point can allow a numerically inferior defending force to use theterrain as aforce multiplier to thwart orambush a much larger opponent, as the attacker cannot advance any further without first securing passage through the choke point.
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Some historical examples of the tactical use of choke points are KingLeonidas I's defense of thePass of Thermopylae during an invasion led byXerxes I of Persia; theBattle of Stamford Bridge in whichHarold Godwinson defeatedHarald Hardrada;William Wallace's victory over the English at theBattle of Stirling Bridge (Wallace had around 2,300 men against the English army of about 9,000 to 12,000 men and the bridge collapsed during the battle); and theBattle of Agincourt in whichHenry V of England decisively defeated theFrench using a small army (consisting mainly of lightly equippedlongbowmen) when the much larger force of Frenchheavy cavalry were forced tocharge at the Englishmen through a narrow muddy gap in theAzincourt Woods.
The many archipelagos of theCaribbean offered several maritime choke points that attractedpirates andbuccaneers duringthe height of their activities in the 17th and early 18th century.[citation needed] TheSpanish treasure fleets leaving the Americas would have to pass through those waters to pick up the strong,prevailingwesterly winds that would take them back to Spain across theNorth Atlantic.
Some choke points, with important locations in parentheses:
TheFulda Gap was seen as one of the potentially decisive bottleneck battlegrounds of theCold War inGermany.
From the 18th to the early 20th centuries, the sheer size of theUnited Kingdom'sRoyal Navy meant it had control over much of the world's oceans and seas. Choke points were of huge importance to theBritish Empire, which often used them to control trade in British colonies and, to a lesser extent, for defense. Choke points have also been a source of tension, notably during theSuez Crisis. The Royal Navy still deems its choke points as strategically vital. Indeed, the importance of choke points was first recognised by British AdmiralJohn Fisher.[1]
These are major British choke points today:
The choke points still have significant strategic importance for the Royal Navy. The GIUK gap is particularly important to the Royal Navy, as any attempt by northern European forces to break into the open Atlantic would have to do so through the heavily defended English Channel, which is also the world's busiest shipping lane, or through one of the exits on either side ofIceland. Considering British control over the strategic fortress ofGibraltar at the entrance to the Mediterranean, Spain (northern coast), France (Atlantic coast) and Portugal are the only mainland European nations that have direct access to the Atlantic Ocean in a way that cannot be easily blocked at a choke point by the Royal Navy. The GIUK gap was also a strategically important part of theCold War, as the Royal Navy were given the responsibility of keeping an eye onSoviet submarines trying to break into the open Atlantic.[citation needed]
Global energy trade relies heavily on maritime transport, as oil, natural gas, and LNG are primarily shipped by sea. Within this system, maritime chokepoints are critical passages along major shipping routes through which a large share of global energy supplies transits.[2] Their strategic location makes them essential nodes for both maritime traffic and energy security. Disruptions at these chokepoints can quickly affect transport costs, price stability, and the reliability of energy markets. As a result, they also carry strong geopolitical importance and play a central role in shaping policies aimed at ensuring stable, sustainable, and resilient maritime trade over the long term.
Choke points remain a prominent issue in the global economy and shipments of goods, particularly oil: 20% of the world's oil is shipped through theStrait of Hormuz. In 2018, 20.7 million barrels per day were transported through the strait.[3] The choke point has undergone continuous unrest since the 1980s. This includes, the downing ofIran Air Flight 655 by an Americansurface-to-air missile in 1988, the collision betweennuclear submarine USSNewport News and crude tankerMogamigawa in 2007,U.S.–Iranian naval dispute in 2008 and2011–2012, seizure ofMVMaersk Tigris in 2015 and threats of a strait closure in 2018 and 2019 made by theIslamic Republic of Iran.[4] Most recently, in April 2020, statements from Iran's military shows its readiness to defend its territorial integrity.[5][6][7]
TheSuez Canal and theSumed pipeline carry 4.5 million barrels (190,000,000 US gal; 720,000 m3) a day, and the canal carried a total of 7.5% of world trade in 2011.[8] The canal was closed for eight years after theSix-Day War in 1967. In many instances, alternate routes are nonexistent or impractical. For example, an alternate to the Suez/Sumed route required an additional 6,000 miles (9,700 km) aroundCape of Good Hope.[9] TheRoyal Navy also still deems its choke points to the Atlantic as strategically important.
TheStrait of Hormuz, connecting thePersian Gulf andArabian Sea, is one of the world's most strategically important maritime choke points.The Islamic Republic of Iran is one of the largest security threats in the Strait of Hormuz and remains an essential factor in global energy security, due to the high volume of oil and natural gas passing through the narrow openings on a daily basis. Thesovereignty of The Islamic Republic of Iran extends, beyond its landterritory,internal waters and its islands in thePersian Gulf, to theStrait of Hormuz and theOman Sea.[10]Iran has used its sovereignty to threaten to close down the Strait of Hormuz multiple times, due tosanctions imposed on the country.[11][12] This poses serious threats to the globaloil market, with the Strait of Hormuz as a key location. Iran's capabilities are found in the country'santi-access/area denial capabilities including small attack craft equipped withmachine guns, multiple-launch rockets,anti-ship missiles andtorpedoes.[13][14][15]Naval mining has also been used as a strategy to threaten the security of the Strait of Hormuz.[16][17] Lastly, the many naval exercises and unconventional methods used by theIslamic Republic of Iran Navy, is a display of capability and shows readiness to take action in the choke point.[18][19][20] The strategic value of maritime choke points such as the Strait of Hormuz means that the threats to the choke point influence sharp rises in oil prices.[21] The several attacks which have occurred over the last decade against oil facilities and tankers in or near the Strait of Hormuz, has had a large impact on theoil industry. From the perspective ofsecurity studies, Iran is an important player in the international oil economy.
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