Definition
A maritime chokepoint is a strait or canal whose closure or disruption would impose outsized costs on global shipping. The major ones include Hormuz, Bab el-Mandeb, the Suez Canal, the Strait of Malacca, the Panama Canal, the Turkish Straits, and the English Channel.
Why this matters when reading conflict news
Most oil and LNG insurance, freight rate, and fuel-cost movements during Middle East tension are reactions to perceived chokepoint risk. Knowing which ones matter for which cargoes is half the analysis.