Control of the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most critical oil shipping routes, has emerged as a key flashpoint in the escalating conflict between the United States and Iran. Iran’s continued closure of the strategic waterway has disrupted global energy supplies, pushing up oil prices and fuelling concerns over inflation.
Iran announced the closure of the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday after what it described as an unauthorised transit. On Sunday, Tehran said the waterway would remain closed and that shipping permits would only be issued once “stability and calm” had been restored.
Trump also accused Iran of violating an earlier agreement aimed at reducing tensions.
“We had a deal. It was a done deal, and then they broke it. They always break it. We’ve had 10 deals with these people, and so we’re just going to hit them very hard,” he said.
‘Strait Operation Will Resume Only If US …’: Iran
In response, Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said on Monday that normal shipping through the Strait of Hormuz would resume only if the United States ended its military operations in the waterway. The force also warned that “continued interference could lead to greater incidents in the global oil and gas sector.”
US and Iranian forces exchanged heavy missile and drone attacks over the weekend and into Monday. Tehran claimed it had targeted US military facilities across the Gulf while maintaining the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, further driving up global oil prices.
The latest escalation has significantly intensified both the scale and geographical reach of the conflict, raising doubts over the interim US-Iran agreement signed last month to reopen the strait and suspend hostilities while both sides pursued a further 60 days of negotiations.
