The Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most critical energy chokepoints, highlights the continued global dependence on oil and gas. Recent geopolitical tensions have disrupted energy flows, exposing vulnerabilities in global supply chains and triggering emergency responses across Asia. Despite decades of rhetoric about an energy transition, fossil fuels remain indispensable for modern economies, not only for energy but also for agriculture, plastics and pharmaceuticals. The crisis underscores that energy systems are shaped by geography and economics, and that a full transition away from hydrocarbons will be far slower and more complex than often assumed.