IEA Executive Director Fatih Birol speaks at the National Press Club in Canberra, Australia, on March 23. (Lukas Coch\/AAP Image via AP)<\/p>\n
\n May 11, 2026 9:15 AM, EDT<\/p>\n
The reputation of the Strait of Hormuz as a reliable artery for global energy trade may be permanently damaged by its prolonged closure, International Energy Agency Executive Director Fatih Birol said.<\/p>\n
Even if movement is restored, \u201cthe vase has been broken. You can\u2019t glue it back together,\u201d Birol said, warning that the disruption has undermined confidence in what was once one of the world\u2019s most critical oil and gas choke points. \u201cIf it was once closed, it can be closed again.\u201d\n \t \t\t<\/p>\n
Speaking to reporters in Vienna, ahead of a meeting with Haitham Al Ghais, secretary general of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries, Birol reiterated the historic nature of the current upheaval in\u00a0global energy markets.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are going through a historical period in terms of energy, foreign policy and geopolitics,\u201d he said. \u201cThe world is going to understand very soon that it has devastating consequences for our economy.\u201d\n \t\t<\/p>\n
The double blockade by the U.S. and Iran of the waterway \u2014 which handled about a fifth of the world\u2019s oil and liquefied natural gas flows \u2014 has had consequences\u00a0far beyond\u00a0energy markets.<\/p>\n
Everything from farm inputs to air travel has been impacted.<\/p>\n