Factbox: Strait of Hormuz - the world's most important oil artery

(Reuters) - The U.S. military on Wednesday said Iranian forces briefly boarded a Liberian-flagged oil near the Strait of Hormuz, heightening tensions in the world’s busiest oil waterway.

Sources said the Iranian action was retaliation against the Greek owner of some of the vessels that were carrying fuel to Venezuela.

The cargoes are covered by a U.S. warrant for seizure and the tankers are sailing to the United States.

Hormuz has been the site of many confrontations between regional and international powers over the last decades.

Below are details about the Strait:

WHAT IS THE STRAIT OF HORMUZ?

WHY DOES IT MATTER?

Sources: Reuters/Refinitiv/Energy Information Administration

(Reporting by Ahmad Ghaddar; editing by Barbara Lewis)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.