This action came just hours after President Donald Trump announced that Washington is "reinstating" a blockade in this strategic maritime route. In an unprecedented decision, Trump suggested that the US will charge other ships for safe passage, breaking with decades of US policy defending universal freedom of navigation.
The US Central Command of the Armed Forces reported that the offensive focused on critical areas such as Abu Musa, Bandar Abbas, Bushehr, Chahbahar, Jask, and Konarak. Specific targets included coastal defense systems, missile and drone sites, as well as various Iranian maritime capabilities. The Pentagon's stated goal is to diminish Tehran's ability to attack commercial shipping and civilians in the region. Trump, from the Oval Office, described the operation as "another big attack" and stated that Iran's offensive capabilities are being nullified to regain control of the straits.
Tehran's response was immediate and violent. Iran launched attacks against Bahrain and two tankers linked to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) sailing through the strait. These actions resulted in the death of a sailor and left eight others injured. As a consequence, the UAE has threatened to retaliate, potentially dragging financial centers like Abu Dhabi and Dubai into direct conflict with the Islamic Republic.
This crisis has shaken global energy markets. The price of Brent oil surpassed $84 per barrel on Tuesday, its highest level in a month. Given that a fifth of the world's oil and natural gas transits through the strait, there is a growing fear of a widespread increase in energy costs. Trump justified his new economic stance by arguing that since the US spends money protecting a "very wealthy area of the world," it is fair to be reimbursed for such protection. Meanwhile, Iran has acknowledged the impacts on its territory, although an official figure of casualties or material damage has not yet been provided.