Choke points remain a prominent issue today in the global economy and shipments of goods , particularly oil : 20 % of the world 's oil is shipped through the Strait of Hormuz , which has seen conflicts such as the downing of Iran Air Flight 655 by American missiles in 1988 . The Suez Canal and the Sumed pipeline carry a day , and the canal carried a total of 7.5 % of world trade in 2011 . The canal was closed for eight years after the Six-Day War in 1967 . In many instances , alternate routes are nonexistent or impractical . For example , an alternate to the Suez/Sumed route required an additional around Cape of Good Hope . The Royal Navy also still deems its choke points to the Atlantic as strategically important
Iran Air Flight 655
Iran Air Flight 655
Choke point