The Strait of Hormuz, a vital sea passage handling about one-fifth of the world's oil, has seen maritime traffic almost come to a halt, effectively closing the channel. This disruption has driven oil prices to record levels, surging above $100 per barrel due to the situation. According to www.cbsnews.com, Arne Lohmann Rasmussen described the strait as de facto closed because no one dares to go through due to attack risks and insurance issues.
Iran has effectively shut down the Strait of Hormuz in retaliation for joint US-Israeli attacks, according to multiple reports. The country is threatening ships with missiles and drones in the waterway, and according to Western intelligence assessments, Iran has laid sea mines there. This military action has created a blockade that is severely impacting global energy flows.
The ongoing war has made the Strait of Hormuz extremely dangerous, according to experienced sea captain Ylikainuu. Sailing through would entail a huge economic risk for shipping companies due to skyrocketing insurance premiums, sea captain Arto Juntunen noted. If a missile or drone hits a tanker, it is practically almost impossible to save a burning ship, according to officials from five sources. Juntunen also described the situation as significantly more difficult than in pirate-threatened waters, noting that a similar convoy system would not work due to more advanced weaponry.
The U.S. is trying with military means to break the blockade in the Strait of Hormuz. The waterway has been in focus after the U.S. destroyed 16 Iranian mine-laying ships overnight. The U.S. has sent A-10 Warthogs and Apache attack helicopters to shoot at Iranian ships and drones in the Strait of Hormuz, according to multiple reports. Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth stated that the Pentagon has taken out over 120 Iranian naval ships.
The U.S. has imposed a blockade on Iranian ports and coastal areas east of the Strait of Hormuz, warning vessels will be subject to interception, diversion, and capture, according to US Central Command. The U.S. has destroyed military sites on Iran's Kharg Island, a key oil terminal, according to Donald Trump. U.S. Navy Adm. Brad Cooper reported that the U.S. military has hit more than 10,000 targets since the war began, destroying 92% of Iran's largest ships and over two-thirds of its missile, drone, and naval production facilities.
The combination of escalating conflict, disruption of Hormuz, and producer shut-ins indicates the crisis is unlikely to be resolved soon.
Donald Trump has vowed to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and is calling for an international coalition, including France, Japan, South Korea, the UK, and China, to send ships. However, France, Japan, and Australia have refused to deploy ships to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz, according to multiple reports. Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, and the Netherlands said they are ready to contribute to ensuring safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz, but three stressed any initiative would be post-ceasefire. Trump has urged other nations to help escort ships through the strait and criticized NATO members for not sending troops.
Donald Trump has deployed thousands of Marines and the amphibious assault ship USS Tripoli to the Strait of Hormuz, according to multiple reports. The USS Tripoli carries 2,000 Marines, according to multiple reports. An additional 2,500 more Marines and the USS Tripoli are being sent to the Middle East, according to multiple reports. The US Navy has 12 ships, including the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln, operating in the Arabian Sea, according to multiple reports.
There are reports of underwater mines in the Strait of Hormuz, according to officials from four sources. Iranian Ghadir-class mini submarines are operating in the Strait of Hormuz, known as 'Ghosts in the Gulf', and have reportedly photographed a US aircraft carrier up close undetected, according to multiple reports. Iran is operating the Strait of Hormuz as a 'de facto toll booth', with some ships paying in Chinese yuan to pass through, according to multiple reports.
The Strait of Hormuz is a strategic sea passage connecting the Persian Gulf to the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea, handling about 20% of global oil, roughly 15 million barrels per day, and liquefied natural gas shipments, according to research. The strait is almost 100 miles long and roughly 21 miles wide at its narrowest point, allowing large vessels to transport oil and gas from the Middle East to China, Europe, and the U.S., according to research. Most crude oil through the strait comes from Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Iraq, Kuwait, Qatar, and Iran, according to research.
Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed in a strike on February 28, according to research. Iran retaliated for the killing of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei by attacking U.S. military bases and threatening ships in the Strait of Hormuz, according to research. At least three ships were targeted in the strait the day after the initial U.S.-Israeli strikes on February 28, according to research.
The strait is de facto closed because no one dares to go through due to attack risks and insurance issues.
Trump questioned whether Iran's new supreme leader, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, is alive, noting he has not appeared in public and that some say he is dead or badly disfigured. U.S. defense chief Pete Hegseth said Mojtaba Khamenei was believed to have been wounded in the strikes. However, Mojtaba Khamenei announced on March 12 that he would continue to keep the strait blocked off, in his first known public comments since taking over, raising uncertainty about his health and status.
Delegations from the U.S. and Iran are in Pakistan for planned peace talks, according to officials from four sources. Trump asserted that Iran has expressed interest in negotiations but the leadership remains disorganized, with strikes hitting over 7,000 targets, destroying more than 100 naval vessels, and reducing missile and drone capabilities since February 28. Trump said the war will not end this week but soon, and he asked Beijing to delay a summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping for 'a month or so' due to the war.
Britain is considering sending minehunting drones to secure the Strait of Hormuz, according to multiple reports. Iran has warned the UK will face consequences if it helps the US reopen the Strait of Hormuz, according to Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei. The Royal Navy is unwilling to send warships to the Strait of Hormuz due to the fluid threat posed by Iran, according to multiple reports.
While maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz has almost come to a halt and is effectively closed, several American ships have passed through the Strait of Hormuz, according to Axios reports, indicating a partial rather than total closure. A US-sanctioned Chinese tanker, the Rich Starry, sailed through the Strait of Hormuz in apparent defiance of the blockade but later made a U-turn, according to multiple reports. Ship trafficking data showed a 70% drop in vessels traversing the strait after the launch of Operation Epic Fury, according to research.
The closure is due to Iranian attacks, threats, and the high cost or unavailability of insurance for ships, not a physical blockade, according to research. Iran has not formally announced the strait's closure but has warned ships not to cross and claimed responsibility for attacks, considering vessels of the U.S., Israel, and allies as legitimate targets, according to research. Trump is considering 'taking over' the strait and threatened Iran against halting oil flows, and suggested implementing a program selling insurance for ships via U.S. Navy escorts.
Key unresolved questions remain about the crisis, including which specific countries, if any, have committed warships to help restore shipping in the Strait of Hormuz. The current status of the peace talks between the U.S. and Iran in Pakistan is also unclear. According to www.cbsnews.com, energy analysts with Eurasia Group described the combination of escalating conflict, disruption of Hormuz, and producer shut-ins as indicating the crisis is unlikely to be resolved soon.