FACTBOX - The Strait of Hormuz, Iran and the risk

LONDON (Reuters) - Here are some facts about the Strait of Hormuz, the sea channel which flows along Iran's coastline at the entrance to the Gulf.

It is the world's most important waterway because of the huge volume of oil exported through it.

-- Oil flows through the Strait account for roughly 40 percent of all seaborne oil traded, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA).

- The majority of oil exported from the Strait of Hormuz travels to Asia, the United States, and Western Europe. Some three-quarters of all Japan's oil needs pass through this Strait.

-- In July 2008, the International Energy Agency (IEA) estimated that more than 15 million barrels per day (bpd) of crude passed through the narrow channel on tankers.

-- An additional 2 million barrels of oil products, including fuel oil, are exported through the passage daily, as well as liquefied natural gas (LNG).

-- Exports from the world's largest LNG exporter Qatar also pass through the Strait en route to Asia and Europe, totalling some 31 million tonnes a year.

-- Ninety percent of oil exported from Gulf producers is carried on oil tankers through the Strait.

-- One of U.S. Central Command's (CENTCOM) key missions in the Gulf is to ensure the free flow of oil and energy supplies.