US and Iran Engage in New Attacks Over Control of Strategic Strait
The fragile truce in the Middle East hangs in the balance after the US and Iran engaged in new attacks as they vie for control of the strategic Strait of Hormuz.
The strait, a vital waterway for global oil supplies, has been largely closed since the US and Israel launched strikes on Iran on February 28, causing price increases worldwide.
The latest escalation came after President Donald Trump sent the US Navy to escort stranded tankers through the strait as part of 'Project Freedom'. The move was met with criticism from Iranian parliament speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, who said the security of shipping and energy transit had been threatened by breaches of the four-week-old ceasefire by the US and its allies.
The US military destroyed six Iranian small boats, as well as cruise missiles and drones, while Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has effectively closed the narrow waterway under threat of mines, drones, missiles, and gunboats. The two sides have issued contradictory statements about the situation in the strait.