Iran's renewed blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, with tolls up to $2 million per vessel, has disrupted Gulf aluminium smelters and threatens the sulphur supply behind copper, nickel and zinc processing.
At a glance
- The Strait of Hormuz is effectively closed to Western-allied shipping again after an April 2026 ceasefire collapsed on July 8.
- Iran's IRGC has charged roughly $1 per barrel (about $2 million per fully laden tanker) since March, paid in yuan or stablecoins to bypass US sanctions, and is now pushing for a 5-7% cargo-value fee worth an estimated $20 billion a year from oil alone.
- Emirates Global Aluminium and Aluminium Bahrain cut output after facility strikes, and Qatalum declared force majeure — about 3 million tonnes of annual aluminium capacity affected in a region supplying roughly 9% of world aluminium.
- Iran's Khuzestan Steel and Mobarakeh Steel plants were hit by air strikes.
What happened
The Strait of Hormuz — the narrow waterway that carried roughly 20 million barrels of oil a day in 2025, about a quarter of the world's seaborne oil trade — is once again effectively closed to Western-allied commercial shipping. Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has run a transit-toll regime through its self-declared "Persian Gulf Strait Authority" since March 2026, when Iran's parliament formally codified it as the "Strait of Hormuz Management Plan," charging roughly $1 per barrel — about $2 million for a fully laden crude tanker — payable in Chinese yuan or dollar-pegged stablecoins to sidestep US sanctions. Tehran is now pushing for a formal fee of 5% to 7% of cargo value that analysts estimate could generate close to $20 billion a year from oil tolls alone, before counting natural gas, petrochemicals, fertiliser and container cargo.
A ceasefire reached in April 2026 collapsed on July 8 after Iran struck commercial vessels that had bypassed its approved transit route. As of mid-August, Iran's Supreme National Security Council says the strait will not fully reopen until the United States ends its military campaign and compensates for war damages, while the US maintains a naval blockade on vessels bound for Iranian ports.
For the mining industry, the damage has moved well past a generic oil-price shock. Emirates Global Aluminium and Aluminium Bahrain both suffered strikes on their facilities and cut output, while Qatalum declared force majeure — together representing roughly 3 million tonnes of annual aluminium capacity in a region that supplies about 9% of the world's aluminium. Iran's own Khuzestan Steel and Mobarakeh Steel plants were hit by air strikes. In Indonesia, which sources about 75% of its sulphur from the Middle East, the disruption threatens the sulphuric-acid supply that feeds nickel and zinc acid-leach processing — and roughly a sixth of the world's copper production, which also depends on sulphuric acid.
The details
The mining industry's exposure to this conflict runs through processing, not mine output. Ore keeps coming out of the ground largely unaffected; what breaks is the chain of energy, chemicals and logistics required to turn that ore into usable metal. Smelters and refineries are far more sensitive to interrupted electricity, feedstock imports and shipping than a mine pit is, which is why aluminium — an industry built on continuous, energy-intensive electrolysis — has taken the most visible hit. Emirates Global Aluminium and Aluminium Bahrain didn't lose ore; they lost the ability to run smelting lines reliably after their facilities came under direct strikes, and Qatalum's force majeure declaration reflects the same underlying problem. A 6-to-12-month restart timeline estimated after the April ceasefire now looks optimistic given the conflict resumed in July.
The sulphur story is a quieter but arguably wider-reaching version of the same mechanism. Sulphuric acid is the workhorse chemical behind high-pressure acid leaching, the process that extracts nickel from laterite ore and helps refine both zinc and roughly a sixth of the world's copper. Indonesia — now the dominant global source of battery-grade nickel — imports about three-quarters of its sulphur from the Middle East. A prolonged disruption to Gulf refinery output, which produces sulphur as a byproduct of oil and gas processing, doesn't show up as a dramatic mine closure; it shows up months later as tighter, costlier acid supply squeezing nickel and copper refiners on the other side of the world.
The toll regime itself is the mechanism most likely to keep costing the industry money regardless of how the fighting goes. Even if strikes on physical infrastructure stopped tomorrow, a $1-per-barrel fee scaling toward 5-7% of cargo value applies to every vessel that still transits the strait, and shipping industry groups warn a formalized Hormuz toll could set a precedent other chokepoints — the Strait of Malacca, the Strait of Gibraltar — start copying. For metals buyers, that converts a war-risk premium most treated as temporary into a standing tax on seaborne trade that doesn't go away with a ceasefire announcement.
Why it matters
India imports a substantial share of its crude oil and LNG through the Strait of Hormuz and buys aluminium, nickel and copper on global markets whose costs are now shaped by the same chokepoint. A sustained toll regime and processing disruption in the Gulf raises input costs across the metals supply chain in ways that show up as higher landed prices for industrial buyers well before they show up as a single dramatic headline.
Our read
Outlook: bullish. Roughly 3 million tonnes of annual Gulf aluminium capacity remains disrupted, and Middle East sulphur supply that feeds nickel, zinc and a sixth of world copper production is under pressure, both of which are genuine supply-side constraints. Combined with elevated shipping costs from the Strait of Hormuz toll regime, these point toward upward price pressure on aluminium, nickel, zinc and copper, though the magnitude depends heavily on how long the conflict and toll regime persist.
What to watch
- Whether the April-negotiated ceasefire framework can be revived, and any change in Iran's Supreme National Security Council conditions for reopening the strait
- Restart timelines and force majeure updates from Emirates Global Aluminium, Aluminium Bahrain and Qatalum
- Whether Iran's proposed 5-7% cargo-value toll is formally implemented, and whether other chokepoints like the Strait of Malacca or Strait of Gibraltar see similar fee proposals
- Sulphur and sulphuric acid pricing trends, as a leading indicator of cost pressure on Indonesian nickel and zinc refining
For information only, not investment advice.
Aluminium price in India
metalscost.com India reference price as of 2026-10-16.
Detailed analysis
Timeline
- 2026-03-30: Iran's parliament formally codifies the Strait of Hormuz toll regime as the "Strait of Hormuz Management Plan."
- 2026-04-08: A US-Iran ceasefire, mediated by Pakistan, is announced.
- 2026-07-08: The ceasefire collapses after Iran strikes commercial vessels that bypassed its approved transit route.
- 2026-07-29: US Treasury's OFAC sanctions entities it says are helping the IRGC monetize Hormuz tolls via yuan and stablecoin payments.
Supply Drivers
The conflict disrupts metals supply chains primarily at the processing stage rather than at the mine: aluminium smelting capacity in the Gulf (roughly 3 million tonnes annually across EGA, Alba and Qatalum) has been cut or halted, and the sulphuric acid supply that Indonesia's nickel refiners and zinc and copper acid-leach operations depend on is threatened by reduced Middle East refinery output.
Government Policies
The US maintains a naval blockade on vessels bound for Iranian ports and, on July 29, 2026, the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control sanctioned entities it says are helping the IRGC monetize its Strait of Hormuz toll regime through yuan and stablecoin payments designed to bypass existing US sanctions.
Inflation
Shipping industry analysts warn that a formalized Hormuz toll of 5-7% of cargo value, if it holds and spreads to other chokepoints like the Strait of Malacca or Strait of Gibraltar, could push up costs across container goods and commodities broadly, since roughly 90% of global trade moves by sea.
Geopolitical Risks
A ceasefire reached in April 2026 collapsed on July 8 after Iran struck commercial vessels that bypassed its approved transit route. Iran's Supreme National Security Council says the strait won't fully reopen until the US ends its military campaign and compensates for war damages, keeping shipping, insurance and processing risk elevated with no clear resolution timeline.
Refinery Output
Emirates Global Aluminium and Aluminium Bahrain cut smelter output after facility strikes and Qatalum declared force majeure, together affecting roughly 3 million tonnes of annual aluminium capacity; Iran's own Khuzestan Steel and Mobarakeh Steel plants were separately hit by air strikes.
What could lift prices
- Sustained Gulf aluminium supply disruption (roughly 3 million tonnes of annual capacity, about 9% of world production) tightens global aluminium availability, which could support prices for producers outside the affected region.
- A prolonged sulphuric acid supply squeeze could tighten refined nickel, zinc and copper output, supporting prices for material already in the supply chain outside the Gulf.
What could weigh on prices
- A formalized Hormuz toll regime and elevated shipping costs raise expenses across the entire metals supply chain, which could dampen downstream demand if buyers pass on higher costs or delay purchases.
- Continued uncertainty over when or whether the conflict resolves makes it difficult for Gulf smelters to commit to restart timelines, prolonging the supply overhang rather than resolving it quickly.
Country impact
| Country | Impact | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| United Arab Emirates | High | Emirates Global Aluminium, based in the UAE, suffered facility strikes and cut aluminium output. |
| Bahrain | High | Aluminium Bahrain (Alba) suffered facility damage and initiated forced output cuts, with a restart timeline of 6-12 months estimated even before the July ceasefire collapse. |
| Iran | High | Iran's own steel industry has been directly hit by air strikes, and Iran controls the Strait of Hormuz toll regime central to the wider crisis. |
| Indonesia | Medium | As the dominant global source of battery-grade nickel, Indonesia's reliance on Middle East sulphur for acid-leach processing exposes its refining sector to the conflict despite having no direct role in it. |
| India | Medium | India imports a significant share of its crude oil and LNG through the Strait of Hormuz and buys internationally priced aluminium, copper and nickel exposed to the same disruption. |
Industry impact
| Industry | Effect | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| Aluminium Smelting | Negative | Roughly 3 million tonnes of annual Gulf aluminium capacity has been cut or halted after facility strikes on Emirates Global Aluminium and Aluminium Bahrain, and a force majeure declaration at Qatalum. |
| Shipping | Negative | Vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz face toll fees, rerouting risk, and elevated marine insurance premiums, with shipping associations warning of a precedent for tolls at other global chokepoints. |
| Mining | Negative | Nickel, zinc and copper refiners dependent on sulphuric acid from Middle East refinery byproducts face tighter, costlier acid supply as Gulf output is disrupted. |
Who gains, who loses
- Aluminium, nickel, zinc and copper producers outside the Gulf and Indonesia: Reduced output from Gulf smelters and constrained sulphuric acid supply for Indonesian nickel and zinc refiners could tighten global availability and support prices for unaffected producers.
- Gulf aluminium smelters (Emirates Global Aluminium, Aluminium Bahrain, Qatalum): Facility strikes, forced output cuts and a force majeure declaration have taken roughly 3 million tonnes of annual capacity offline with an uncertain restart timeline.
- Indonesian nickel and zinc refiners: Reliance on Middle East sulphur for acid-leach processing exposes their operating costs and supply reliability to a conflict they have no direct role in.
- Global shippers and cargo owners transiting the Strait of Hormuz: Per-vessel tolls of up to $2 million and a proposed 5-7% cargo-value fee directly raise transit costs, with insurers threatening to cancel coverage on vessels that pay them.
Other ways this could play out
- If a durable ceasefire is reached and the Strait of Hormuz toll regime is dismantled, Gulf aluminium smelters could begin the estimated 6-to-12-month restart process and shipping costs could normalize over the following year.
- If the conflict persists or the toll regime becomes permanent, other global shipping chokepoints could face similar fee demands, structurally raising the cost of seaborne metals trade well beyond this immediate conflict.
Price risks
- A further escalation or a durable resolution could each move aluminium, nickel, zinc and copper prices quickly in opposite directions, given how concentrated the affected processing capacity is.
- Sulphuric acid supply is a slower-moving risk than the headline conflict news, and its effect on nickel, zinc and copper refining costs could lag the war news by weeks or months.
Historical comparison
- March-April 2026: Emirates Global Aluminium and Aluminium Bahrain first cut output after facility strikes, and Qatalum declared force majeure, with restart timelines then estimated at 6-12 months — a timeline now in question after the ceasefire collapsed in July.
Technical view
Price is trading below both its 20-period and 50-period moving averages, a bearish alignment.
Computed from metalscost.com's own stored price history.
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