Strait of Hormuz: How it got its name and why it was called the ‘jewel in the ring of the world’

An aerial view of the Iranian shores and Port of Bandar Abbas in the strait of Hormuz. (REUTERS)

• Tanker traffic slows in Strait of Hormuz due to regional tensions
• Nearly 20% of global oil supply passes through the strait daily
• The strait's name originates from ancient Persian religion and trade.

Did our AI summary help?

As tensions rise in West Asia, the Strait of Hormuz has once again become one of the world’s most closely watched waterways. Tanker traffic through the narrow passage has slowed sharply amid the conflict involving Iran, Israel and the United States.

Just 33 km wide at its narrowest point, the strait connects the Persian Gulf to the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea. Nearly one-fifth of the world’s oil passes through this corridor, making it the most important energy chokepoint on the planet.

But long before it became a symbol of global energy security, the Strait of Hormuz carried a name rooted in ancient religion, trade and medieval maritime power.

The port before the strait

The name “Hormuz” originally belonged to a port city rather than the waterway itself. The medieval port of Hormuz sat along the southern coast of present-day Iran before later shifting to a nearby island for security reasons.

Between the 13th and 16th centuries, the city became one of the richest trading hubs in the region. Merchants from India, Persia and the Arab world docked there, moving goods such as ceramics, ivory, silk and textiles across the Indian Ocean trade network.

Travellers and merchants described the city with admiration. According to historical accounts, the famous traveller Marco Polo referred to Hormuz as the “jewel in the ring of the world” because of its immense wealth and strategic importance.

Over time, the narrow waterway beside the port gradually took on the same name. In other words, the strait was named after the city, not the other way around.

Persian roots and Zoroastrian echoes

Historians generally trace the name Hormuz to Middle Persian origins. The word likely evolved from “Hormoz”, a linguistic form linked to Ahura Mazda, the supreme god of wisdom and light in Zoroastrianism.

Zoroastrianism was the dominant faith of ancient Persia before the arrival of Islam in the 7th century. As Persian language and culture spread across the region, divine names from the religion entered place names and geographic landmarks.

Over centuries, the name changed across languages. European traders and colonial powers later recorded it as “Ormus” when they encountered the port and island during the early modern period.

Some alternative theories suggest the name may come from “Hur-Muz”, meaning “place of dates”, or even from a Greek word describing a bay or cove. However, the link to the ancient Persian deity remains the most widely accepted explanation.

From spice route to oil chokepoint

For centuries, controlling Hormuz meant controlling trade between East and West. In the 16th century, Portuguese forces briefly occupied Hormuz Island to dominate the lucrative spice trade between India and Europe.

By the modern era, the region’s strategic value had shifted from spices to oil.

Today the Strait of Hormuz is the primary shipping route for crude oil and liquefied natural gas exported from Gulf producers including Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia.

According to energy estimates, about 20% of global oil supply passes through the strait each day. Most of these shipments head toward Asian markets, including China and India.

Why the Strait matters today

The waterway’s geography gives it enormous strategic significance. The deep-water shipping lanes lie partly within the territorial waters of Iran and Oman, meaning regional tensions can directly affect global energy flows.

Iran has occasionally threatened to block the strait during periods of conflict, including during the Iran–Iraq War in the 1980s. However, the route has never been fully closed despite repeated tensions.

In the current conflict, Iranian forces have warned that vessels crossing the strait could face missile or drone attacks, prompting some shipping companies and insurers to halt operations in the region.

The global stakes

Because so much of the world’s oil moves through the Strait of Hormuz, any disruption can ripple across global markets.

Rising insurance premiums, suspended shipping routes and fears of a blockade have already pushed up energy prices and heightened concerns about supply disruptions.

For major importers such as India, the waterway is a crucial economic lifeline. A significant share of its crude oil and gas imports passes through the corridor each year.

From ancient belief to modern geopolitics

The story of the Strait of Hormuz spans thousands of years. A name rooted in ancient Persian religion passed into a medieval trading port, then onto global maritime charts.

Today, that same name defines one of the most powerful sea lanes in the world — a narrow stretch of water where history, religion, commerce and geopolitics intersect.