Overview
- The Chinese supertanker Yuan Hua Hu, which crossed the strait on Wednesday, drew scrutiny as a test of U.S. blockade enforcement.
- Iran said it would reopen the waterway only if Washington lifts the naval blockade, returns about $15 billion in frozen funds, and removes sanctions.
- Iraq and Pakistan secured case-by-case passage deals with Tehran that cleared Iraqi crude and Qatari LNG through the strait.
- The U.S. Navy, led by the carrier Abraham Lincoln, reported redirecting 65 ships and disabling four as it enforces restrictions on Iran-linked traffic.
- New U.S. intelligence assessments reported that Iran’s missile network remains largely usable, raising ongoing risks for shipping and challenging public claims of severe degradation.