An Australian energy security expert has warned that the country could be forced to introduce fuel rationing within weeks if the Strait of Hormuz remains closed, cutting off a critical route for oil and petroleum imports. The warning highlights Australia's heavy reliance on imported fuel and its limited domestic refining capacity and storage reserves, meaning any prolonged disruption to Middle Eastern shipping lanes could quickly translate into shortages at the pump for ordinary motorists.

The expert reportedly described Australia as being "three times" exposed to supply chaos, pointing to the nation's thin stockpiles, dependence on a small number of overseas refineries, and vulnerability to shipping bottlenecks through the strait, a chokepoint through which a large share of the world's oil passes. The warning comes amid renewed closure of the Strait of Hormuz linked to the ongoing conflict involving Iran, with officials and analysts flagging that Australia may need to consider emergency measures, such as rationing, if the blockage persists.