Battle off Hormuz (1625)

Although the battle was a draw, the result was the loss of Portuguese influence in the Gulf.

Rui Freire de Andrada, with a force of galleys under his command, was besieging Hormuz and awaiting reinforcements from Portugal when in early 1625 he was forced to raise the siege by an allied fleet of English and Dutch ships.

[4] The Anglo-Dutch fleet had intelligence of the arrival at Goa of the Portuguese reinforcements under Nuno Álvares Botelho in September 1624.

According to a Portuguese observer, the exchange of gunfire was like the opening of the mouths of Hell and the Persians on shore were stunned.

[4] Botelho rejected advice to retreat to the coast of Arabia, preferring to wait out his rivals in case they decided to attack Portuguese Muscat.

[4] Following the battle, Persia and Portugal signed a treaty that was, in effect, a truce that regulated their commerce in the gulf.

Portuguese vessels were obligated to trade there rather than at Arabian ports and Portugal would receive half of the customs revenue.

Portuguese in the Persian Gulf (1500-1750)
Purple – Portuguese in Persian Gulf in the 16th and 17th century; main cities, ports and routes
Portuguese in the Persian Gulf and Red Sea; light green – territories and cities; dark green – Allies or under influence; yellow – main factories