The Strait of Hormuz "is closed until further notice." No, it's open. The conflict between Iran and the United States over the strategic maritime passage has flared up again amid threats and cross-fire that are shaking the entire Gulf.
"Hormuz is open. We hit them hard," Donald Trump assured without hesitation at the end of another night of raids against Iran. Tehran "does not control the Strait": American forces are deployed and ready to "guarantee freedom of navigation, despite Iran's unjustified aggression, threats, and arbitrary statements," CENTCOM echoed before proceeding with new strikes near Hormuz, targeting missile and air defense systems, as well as small vessels of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps in various areas of the Strait.
Over the past two days, apparent calm in the Strait and talks in Muscat between Iran and Oman, attended by Qatar, had given rise to hope. Then the situation escalated again: on the night between Saturday and Sunday, Iran announced the closure of the Strait after launching a drone attack on a Cypriot-flagged vessel because, according to Tehran, it had failed to heed warnings to change course.
The American response was swift. US forces launched their third round of strikes this week against Iran, hitting 140 military targets near the Strait, bringing the total number of targets for the week to 310. "Tehran made the wrong choice. Now it pays," thundered Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth.
The Iranian regime responded with targeted strikes on American bases in the Middle East: three Iranian missiles fell in Jordan, while Qatar announced that three people, including a child, were injured by shrapnel during interceptions of the Islamic Republic's missiles. Oman also found itself in Iran's sights, summoning its ambassador in protest at the strikes, publicly accusing Tehran of targeting its territory. Saudi Arabia also strongly condemned the strikes, denouncing "Iran's persistent destabilizing behavior that threatens the stability of the region."
The standoff over Hormuz is infuriating Trump. "We had a deal with Iran" Saturday night before the attack: "A perfect understanding for us. No nuclear weapons, no this, no that, no nothing. Iran was giving in on everything, then they walked out of the room and, within an hour, launched a drone at a ship. They're sick, there's something wrong with them," the commander-in-chief said, clearly frustrated.
