US Strikes Iran, Restores Strait of Hormuz Blockade
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- US Central Command struck coastal defence systems, missile and drone sites, and maritime capabilities inside Iran early Tuesday, saying the strikes aim to degrade Iran's ability to attack shipping in the Strait of Hormuz
- Trump announced on social media that Washington is 'reinstating the THE IRANAN BLOCKADE' and will charge ships a 20 per cent fee on cargo value to cover security costs, with the blockade resuming at midnight Dubai time after being lifted in mid-April
- Iran's Revolutionary Guard claimed responsibility for striking two UAE-linked tankers, the Mombasa and Al Bahiyah, setting both ablaze and killing one mariner and wounding eight, prompting the UAE to threaten retaliation
- Bahrain, which hosts the US Navy's 5th Fleet, came under renewed Iranian missile attack with sirens sounding three times, while Jordan intercepted four Iranian missiles — both countries host US forces and have been targeted repeatedly in recent days
- Brent crude rose to over USD 86 a barrel on Tuesday, a one-month high, though still well below the nearly USD 120 seen at the height of the war; the Strait of Hormuz normally carries a fifth of globally traded crude and natural gas
- The interim deal had given negotiators 60 days to work toward a permanent end to the war and reopen the strait, but left unsettled whether Iran can charge passage fees — a claim the US disputes and that clashes with global freedom-of-navigation norms
- Separately, Lebanese and Israeli delegations were expected in Rome for US-mediated talks on a framework deal under which Israeli forces would withdraw from southern Lebanon in exchange for Hezbollah disarmament, with progress stalled
Why it matters: A fifth of globally traded crude and natural gas transits the Strait of Hormuz, and Iran's continued attacks on shipping even during the truce — now met with a US naval blockade and a 20 per cent cargo fee — mean oil traders, shippers, and Gulf-state governments face renewed war-risk premia and potential supply disruption; Brent's climb to USD 86 signals markets are repricing that risk in real time.
