The US and Iran standoff over the Strait of Hormuz intensifies

The U.S. and Iran are escalating tensions over the Strait of Hormuz, with Iran threatening to block oil and gas export routes in response to U.S. maritime blockades. The U.S. military has launched strikes to degrade Iranian capabilities targeting commercial shipping, while Iran retaliated by attacking U.S. bases in Kuwait, Bahrain, and Jordan. Control of the strategic Strait of Hormuz, through which 20% of the world's energy supplies transit, has become a focal point of the conflict.