US and Iran Trade Airstrikes After Tehran Shuts Strait of Hormuz – 20% of Global Oil at Risk
The United States launched new airstrikes on Iranian coastal defenses and military ships this week after Iran closed the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow waterway that carries about 20% of the world’s oil supply. Iran’s navy announced the closure and fired on a vessel traveling through what Tehran called an “unapproved route,” triggering a third round of US strikes and threatening a fragile ceasefire signed on June 17 [193988][192398][192022].
The escalation began when Iranian forces attacked a Saudi oil tanker, a Qatari gas ship, and a third vessel on July 6 and 7 [193465]. The US responded with intense airstrikes on missile storage sites, coastal defenses, and military ships, with explosions reported in the Iranian port cities of Sirik and Bandar Abbas [192064][193465]. US Central Command said the operation aimed to degrade Iran’s ability to threaten freedom of navigation through the strait [192064][192022].
President Donald Trump declared the provisional ceasefire “over,” and the US revoked a license that allowed Iran to sell oil on global markets, with a transition period ending July 17 [192022][191655]. In retaliation, Iran’s Revolutionary Guard said it attacked 85 military bases in Bahrain and Kuwait, including the US Navy’s Fifth Fleet base at Port Salman [191655].
The Strait of Hormuz is a critical waterway between Iran and Oman, through which about one-fifth of the world’s oil and large amounts of liquefied natural gas pass daily [191655][192855]. Before the war, over 100 ships crossed the strait daily; since the ceasefire, fewer than 30 ships a day have passed, though oil traffic increased by 70% after June 18 [193465]. Iran’s Revolutionary Guard now demands ships ask for permission 48 hours in advance and use routes set by Iran’s new “Strait Authority” in its territorial waters [193465].
The ceasefire agreement required both sides to act: Iran had to prepare for safe passage and start clearing mines within 30 days, while the US agreed to lift its naval blockade [193465]. But each side now accuses the other of breaking the deal. Iran says it has the right to block the strait, while the US says that violates international law [192855]. The International Energy Agency warns that global oil supply could still be at risk without a lasting peace [193465].
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte defended the US strikes as “absolutely necessary,” saying Iran violated the ceasefire [191655]. Mediators including Pakistan and Qatar continue talks, but the renewed violence threatens to reverse the positive trend of the past three weeks [193465][192566].