New Delhi, Feb. 28 -- As joint US-Israel strikes on Iran escalate tensions in the Middle East, global focus has shifted to the Strait of Hormuz - a narrow but critical waterway that carries a significant share of the world's energy supplies.

The Strait of Hormuz connects the oil-rich Persian Gulf to the Indian Ocean and sits between Iran and Oman's Musandam exclave. At just around 50 kilometres (30 miles) wide and no deeper than 60 metres (200 feet) in places, the strait is geographically vulnerable to military disruption.

Several strategically important islands dot the waterway, including Iran's Hormuz, Qeshm and Larak. Also located there are the disputed Greater Tunb, Lesser Tunb and Abu Musa islands, under Iranian control since 1971,...