The Strait of Hormuz is a narrow waterway between Iran and Oman that connects the Persian Gulf with the Arabian Sea. Before the 2026 conflict disrupted flows, it carried roughly one-fifth of global petroleum liquids consumption and around one-fifth of global LNG trade in recent years.
For Pakistan, the first impact of a prolonged disruption is the energy import bill. Pakistan is a net importer of oil and gas and relies heavily on Gulf suppliers. The IMF noted in 2026 that 81% of Pakistan’s fuel imports came from the Gulf region. Higher crude, refined-fuel and LNG prices can therefore widen the current-account deficit, increase pressure on the rupee and force higher domestic fuel and electricity prices.
The effect then spreads through the economy. Diesel raises trucking and agricultural costs. More expensive furnace oil or LNG can lift electricity generation costs. Airlines face higher jet-fuel prices. Businesses pay more to move goods, and food prices can rise because transport and fertiliser costs increase.
Afghanistan does not import fuel through Hormuz in the same way as Gulf-facing states, but it is still exposed through regional prices and supply chains. A large share of Afghan fuel, food and consumer goods moves through Pakistan, Iran and Central Asia. If shipping and fuel become more expensive, those costs can pass into road freight, generators and imported goods.
Not every Hormuz disruption produces the same result. Strategic stocks, alternative pipelines, ship-to-ship transfers and changes in refinery supply can soften the shock. But alternative routes have far less capacity than normal Hormuz flows.
That is why Hormuz matters even to landlocked Afghanistan. The strait is not simply a Gulf shipping route; it is a global energy price-setting chokepoint whose disruption can reach households thousands of kilometres away.