What's the Strait of Hormuz? And how do blockades work?

Civics 101

NHPR

History, Government, Society & Culture

4.2 • 2.6K Ratings

🗓️ 21 April 2026

⏱️ 26 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

You've been hearing about it in the news, but what exactly is the Strait of Hormuz? And as for those blockades...how do they work? DONATE TO THE PODCAST HERE. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	Nick, something has been bothering me.
0:04.0	Just one something?
0:06.0	I have been reading and hearing everywhere that Iran blockaded the Strait of Hormuz and
0:11.9	that the United States blockaded the Strait of Hormuz and that the Strait of Hormuz is
0:16.4	shut down and now the Strait of Hormuz is open again and gas goes down and gas goes up and on and on.
0:22.4	And I'm like, hang on, wait a minute.
0:25.4	What is the Strait of Hormuz?
0:28.2	You know what the Strait of Hormuz is.
0:30.1	Do I?
0:31.4	I know what it looks like because it's all over the news.
0:35.0	I know where it is, kind of.
0:37.4	I know when you mess with it,
0:38.9	the gas prices go up, way, way up, and that it has to do with the oil tankers that usually
0:45.0	go through it. But do I really know what the Strait of Hormuz is? And while we're here,
0:51.0	what's a blockade? Okay, you also know what a blockade is.
0:55.1	What is a blockade?
0:56.9	It's when you block something.
0:59.7	You see what I mean?
1:01.1	All right, here we go.
1:02.8	I'm Hannah McCarthy.
1:03.7	I'm to Capadice.
1:07.1	This is Civics 101.
	...

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