Does oil rule the world? The US war on Iran threatens to send oil prices stratospheric, with consequences across the globe. Some think that oil is the most powerful substance ever discovered.
World economy falters over blockade
Oil Wars: The US-Iran conflict in the Strait of Hormuz threatens to destabilise global energy supplies, sending prices soaring and forcing the world to reconsider its reliance on "liquid gold". Glossary
Strait of Hormuz - A narrow stretch of water between Iran, the UAE and Oman. It connects the Gulf to the Gulf of Oman, and is thus a vital global shipping route, with 20% of the world's oil and liquefied natural gas normally passing through the strait.
Viscous - Having a thick, sticky consistency between a solid and a liquid (for example, how honey moves more slowly than water).
Middle East - The lands around the east of the Mediterranean Sea and Arabia.
Suez Crisis - The crisis arose when Egypt’s President Nasser nationalised the Suez Canal, which was largely owned by British and French investors. Britain and France joined Israel in attacking Egypt, but had to withdraw under pressure from the US and Russia.
Hydroelectric - The generation of electricity using the force of moving water, typically by using a dam on a river.