A skirmish is taking place in the Strait of Hormuz as the United States and Iran are both attempting to restrict navigation through the strategic waterway — responsible for up to 20 percent of global oil and liquid natural gas shipments.
Iran announced removing all restrictions on the passage through the Strait of Hormuz on April 17, in a goodwill initiative. Yet, the U.S. said that its blockade on Iranian ports will remain in place, forcing the Islamic Republic to reverse course.
On April 18, three ships were targeted by gunboats linked to Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). A tanker and a cargo ship were hit 20 and 25 nautical miles to the northeast of Oman, respectively. A cruise ship sailing three nautical miles east of Oman was also targeted.
The very next day, U.S. President Donald Trump himself announced the seizure of the Iranian-flagged cargo ship named TOUSKA. The ship, which was en route from China to Iran, was fired upon then boarded by the U.S. Navy in the Arabian Sea.
Iran’s Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters accused the U.S. of violating the ceasefire, with Iranian media later reporting that the Islamic Republic launched drone strikes against several U.S. warships in the Arabian Sea.
After much effort by Pakistan to organize a second round of American-Iranian talks, Trump announced on April 21 an extension to the two-week ceasefire with Iran, without specifying a timeline. Trump, however, ordered the U.S. military to keep the blockade on Iranian ports.
Iran welcomed the extension of the ceasefire, but kept its restrictions on the Strait of Hormuz in place. On April 22, the IRGC attacked three ships near the waterway.
The first ship, the Liberia-flagged Epaminondas, was attacked by IRGC gunboats, which opened fire and caused significant damage to the bridge. The second ship, the Panama-flagged Euphoria, faced a similar fate.
The third ship, the Panama-flagged MSC Francesc, was later targeted about six nautical miles off the coast of Iran.
The U.S. later expanded its blockade on Iran, intercepting three Iranian-flagged tankers — Deep Sea, Sevin, and Dorena — in Asian waters and redirecting them away from their positions near India, Malaysia and Sri Lanka. This was a major escalation, especially considering that two of the vessels were supertankers.
The ongoing skirmish in the Strait of Hormuz is without a doubt a form of negotiation by fire, but the escalation suggests that an agreement between the U.S. and Iran remains far off. The war is more likely to resume.
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