Chief Executive of the National Petroleum Authority (NPA), Godwin Edudzi Tamakloe, has played down fears that Iran could close the Strait of Hormuz, a key global oil transit route, in response to recent U.S. airstrikes on Iranian nuclear sites.
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Speaking on TV3 on Monday, June 23, Mr. Tamakloe stated that Iran lacks the sole authority to block the strait due to overwhelming international and regional interests.
Iran borders one side of the Strait, but Oman controls the other. Oman benefits financially from international shipping and won’t allow a unilateral closure,” he said.
He emphasized that Oman’s neutral foreign policy and its economic reliance on shipping tolls make its cooperation in a blockade unlikely.
The Strait of Hormuz is one of the world’s most important maritime chokepoints, with nearly 20 million barrels of oil, about 20% of global supply, passing through daily. A disruption would have global consequences.
Tamakloe also pointed to the interests of global powers like China and European nations. China depends heavily on oil from the Gulf region. Europe, too, now relies more on Middle Eastern diesel due to Russian sanctions,” he said.
He referenced Saturday’s emergency UN Security Council meeting, saying it indicated a push for diplomacy. “The tone from the meeting showed there’s more interest in dialogue than war,” he noted.
Mr. Tamakloe warned that a wider Gulf war, affecting oil production itself, would be far more dangerous than the closure of a shipping route.
He concluded with optimism: “There’s a greater chance of diplomatic de-escalation in the Middle East than in other conflicts like Ukraine-Russia.”
Earlier, Tamakloe assured Ghanaians that the country has fuel reserves to withstand short-term shocks, over 200 million litres of petrol and 150 million litres of diesel, enough for two months or more.
