U.S. naval blockade and airstrikes intensify as Iran attacks commercial shipping in Hormuz

The United States military reinstated a naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz and has conducted daily airstrikes targeting Iranian coastal areas and, more recently, infrastructure such as rail lines that could transport weapons. Iran responded with attacks on commercial ships and U.S. military assets across the Persian Gulf, as well as strikes on energy facilities and water-desalination plants.

The renewed fighting has halted the alternate shipping route the U.S. had established to bypass an Iranian-controlled corridor, with no crossings reported on the U.S.-backed route on Friday while Iran’s own corridor recorded seven transits. Oil prices have risen amid the heightened tension, and global markets face additional risk if the strait remains closed.

Earlier this month, President Donald Trump reportedly told aides he would consider ending a cease-fire if American troops were killed, according to a report cited by the Wall Street Journal. When asked about a possible return to full-scale war, the White House issued a statement from U.S. Central Command reporting casualties but offered no further comment.

Analysts note that the conflict has not yet escalated to the intensity of the war’s early phase, but the collapse of the limited understanding between the parties could remove the last barrier to a longer-term confrontation. Ali Vaez, director of the Iran Project at the International Crisis Group, warned that “the immediate dispute concerns who controls the Strait of Hormuz, but more is at stake.” Gregory Brew, senior analyst for Iran and energy at the Eurasia Group, said there is no viable military solution to reopening the strait and that Iran is unlikely to relinquish its leverage, predicting that the U.S. may initially choose escalation before being forced to negotiate.