Strait of Hormuz has been in the news for its major role as a geopolitical tool, especially in the oil trade. In this context, which of the following statements are correct?

It links the Gulf of Oman and the Persian Gulf.

It links the Gulf of Aden and the Persian Gulf.

The narrow strait is used as a shipping corridor based on the Traffic Separation Scheme.

Select the correct option from the codes given below:

Question

Statement 1 is correct: The strait connects the Gulf of Oman and the Persian Gulf. It is bordered by Iran, UAE and Musandam- a governorate of Oman. It is the site of passage for large number of oil tankers. About 20% of world’s oil passes through this strait. It has previously been the site of tanker wars.
Statement 2 is incorrect: The Gulf of Aden is located south of Yemen- on the other side of Arabian Peninsula with respect to the Strait of Hormuz. The Aden gulf also holds a strategic chokepoint similar to this strait- called the Bab-el-mandab strait. This connects the Gulf of Aden to the Red sea.
Statement 3 is correct: The Hormuz strait is very narrow and given the high shipping traffic, is prone to accidents. Hence the ships follow TSS/ traffic separation system. It uses lanes of about 2 miles wide and separation of lanes is by medians, which are also 2 miles wide. The inbound traffic uses a separate lane from the outbound traffic.

GKToday Admin · Accepted Answer

1 and 3

Statement 1 is correct: The strait connects the Gulf of Oman and the Persian Gulf. It is bordered by Iran, UAE and Musandam- a governorate of Oman. It is the site of passage for large number of oil tankers. About 20% of world’s oil passes through this strait. It has previously been the site of tanker wars.
Statement 2 is incorrect: The Gulf of Aden is located south of Yemen- on the other side of Arabian Peninsula with respect to the Strait of Hormuz. The Aden gulf also holds a strategic chokepoint similar to this strait- called the Bab-el-mandab strait. This connects the Gulf of Aden to the Red sea.
Statement 3 is correct: The Hormuz strait is very narrow and given the high shipping traffic, is prone to accidents. Hence the ships follow TSS/ traffic separation system. It uses lanes of about 2 miles wide and separation of lanes is by medians, which are also 2 miles wide. The inbound traffic uses a separate lane from the outbound traffic.

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