Pakistan, June 23 -- The Strait of Hormuz, a narrow but crucial maritime corridor, is under global focus as tensions escalate in the Middle East. Nearly 84% of oil passing through the strait is headed to Asia, putting countries like China, India, South Korea, and Japan at serious risk of fuel shortages if Iran enforces a blockade in response to recent US strikes.

According to the US Energy Information Administration (EIA), around 14.2 million barrels of crude oil and 5.9 million barrels of other petroleum products pass through Hormuz daily. This accounts for 20% of global oil production and includes nearly all crude exported by Gulf states such as Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Iraq, and Iran itself.

China is the largest consumer of oil via the...