Gunboat diplomacy ramps up in Hormuz Strait, endangering shaky ceasefire
The US and Iran have escalated a naval standoff in the Strait of Hormuz, with both sides seizing tankers and threatening further action, endangering a fragile ceasefire on land. President Trump has ordered the Navy to fire on Iranian ships laying mines in the strait, a vital shipping lane.
The US and Iran are engaged in a tit-for-tat battle at sea, with both sides seizing tankers in international waters. The US military seized at least three tankers carrying oil from Iran, and directed 31 vessels to turn around or return to port. Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps fired on ships to prevent them from sailing through the Strait of Hormuz, attacking three ships and seizing two. President Trump extended a ceasefire on land indefinitely but maintained a naval blockade, ordering the Navy to fire on Iranian ships laying mines. The standoff threatens to escalate a conflict that has caused a global energy crisis. The Strait of Hormuz is under a double-blockade, with Iran threatening ships from unfriendly nations and Washington turning back most Iran-linked vessels.
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