FRESH clashes between the United States and Iran on Tuesday raised tensions over the control of the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran’s Parliament Speaker, Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, said in a social media post that violations of the four-week ceasefire by the United States and its allies had put the safety of maritime shipping and energy flows at risk.
The ICIR reported that US military said on Monday that it destroyed several Iranian boats, along with cruise missiles and drones, after President Donald Trump ordered naval escorts for stranded oil tankers through the Strait in a campaign he called “Project Freedom”.
The Strait of Hormuz, crucial for transporting global supplies of oil, fertilizer, and other commodities, has been largely shut since hostilities escalated earlier this year, contributing to rising fuel prices worldwide.
According to Reuters, on Monday, multiple commercial vessels in the Gulf reported explosions, while an oil facility in the United Arab Emirates was set ablaze following missile strikes attributed to Iran and Tehran.
The US said some merchant ships successfully transited the Strait under naval protection. Iran denied that any vessels had successfully passed through the waterway, but shipping company Maersk said its US-flagged vessel, Alliance Fairfax, left the Gulf via the Strait of Hormuz on Monday under US military escort.
Meanwhile, the commander of US forces in the region said American troops had destroyed six small Iranian boats, an account Tehran denied. Iranian media, citing a military official, claimed instead that US forces struck civilian vessels, killing five people.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said the situation underscored the need for a diplomatic solution, noting that talks mediated by Pakistan were ongoing. He also cautioned against deeper US or UAE involvement.
Iranian officials published a map showing what they described as a widened maritime zone under their control, stretching well beyond the Strait and covering extensive sections of the UAE’s coastline.
Iran’s state television said military officials confirmed the strike on the UAE was carried out in retaliation for what they described as “US military adventurism.”
Following the reports of drone and missile strikes across the UAE during the day, including one that sparked a fire at the key oil port of Fujairah, the Emirati government said the Iranian attacks represented a major escalation and warned it reserved the right to respond.
Oil prices eased one per cent on Tuesday after climbing by as much as six per cent in the previous days on signs the US Navy was loosening Iran’s grip on the Strait of Hormuz.
The conflict in the Middle East has claimed thousands of lives and unsettled the global economy. Although US and Iranian officials have held one round of direct peace talks, efforts to arrange further negotiations have so far been unsuccessful.
Nanji is an investigative journalist with the ICIR. She has years of experience in reporting and broadcasting human angle stories, gender inequalities, minority stories, and human rights issues. She has documented sexual war crimes in armed conflict, sex for grades in Nigerian Universities, harmful traditional practices and human trafficking.