Overview
- President Donald Trump announced the return of a seaborne blockade Monday, directing US forces to stop ships bound for or leaving Iranian ports while saying the Strait of Hormuz would remain open to other nations.
- US Central Command reported successive nightly attack waves on Iranian targets and said more than 20 warships and hundreds of aircraft have been deployed to the region to degrade Iran’s ability to target merchant shipping.
- Trump initially demanded a 20 percent transit fee on cargo using the strait but reversed course hours later after talks with Gulf leaders, saying he would pursue trade and investment arrangements instead.
- Iran retaliated with strikes on two oil tankers and attacks on regional bases, the UAE said one Indian crew member was killed and several wounded, and ship-tracking services show transits through the strait have plunged while oil prices rose.
- The measures have deep legal and diplomatic implications because the IMO rejects mandatory transit charges, lawmakers and allies question the blockade’s authority, and analysts warn sustained control of the strait would be costly and risk greater harm to civilians and global markets.