ELI5: How does closing the Strait of Hormuz affect world oil?

Closing the Strait of Hormuz would make gas much more expensive because it's like blocking the only road to get a lot of the world's oil.

Imagine the Strait of Hormuz as a really important road. This road is a narrow waterway between Iran and Oman, and it's the only way for many countries in the Middle East to ship their oil to the rest of the world. A huge amount of the world's oil travels through this road.

• Think of oil as juice boxes.
• Many juice boxes come from a factory in the Middle East.
• The Strait of Hormuz is the only road out of the factory.

What happens then?

• Less Juice Boxes: There are fewer juice boxes available in stores.
• Higher Prices: Because there are fewer juice boxes, the store owner can charge more money for each one.
• Gas Prices Go Up: Gasoline is made from oil. If oil prices go up, gas prices go up too. This means it will cost more to drive your car, your school bus, and even for trucks to bring food to the grocery store.
• Everything Costs More: Because transportation costs more (due to higher gas prices), things like food and toys might cost more too.