With traffic suspended and several ships attacked since the launch of US and Israeli strikes on Iran, vessels have clustered on either side of the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic waterway vital to global energy markets. Iranian hardliners had threatened to block the strait in the event of a US attack, but never followed through. Ships that sail through have risked being hit, and maritime security agencies said three vessels were attacked on Sunday. As Tehran attacked targets across the Gulf on Sunday to avenge slain supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the Strait of Hormuz's status has raised fears of a global oil shock. Shutting it completely would "amount to committing suicide out of fear of death", Ali Vaez, Iran Project Director at International Crisis Group, told AFP.

Source: Indian Express March 02, 2026 01:30 UTC