Global energy supplies are facing a major threat after a fresh wave of fighting between the United States and Iran shut down the Strait of Hormuz, breaking a peace deal signed just last month.
The crisis grew worse on Friday when the US military launched a new round of airstrikes, hitting dozens of military targets inside Iran. This was the sixth day in a row that American forces have bombed Iranian sites. The US military said it is acting to protect commercial shipping lines after a temporary peace agreement, signed in June, fell apart completely.
The breakdown of the deal has caused the immediate closure of the Strait of Hormuz. This narrow stretch of water is the most important oil shipping lane in the world, with about 20 per cent of the world’s oil passing through it. Iranian leaders have closed the waterway to international ships and vow to keep it blocked until the US stops its attacks. At the same time, the US has put a strict blockade back on Iran’s ports, stopping and redirecting three cargo ships in the Gulf of Oman.
The conflict is now spreading quickly, raising serious fears for power plants and transport networks across the region. Tehran reported that recent US bombs hit an airport, a railway station, and two bridges, killing seven people. Earlier strikes also hit near a major civilian nuclear power plant in Bushehr. Iranian government spokesperson Fatemeh Mohajerani stated that the latest week of violence has killed at least 30 people.
In response, Iran launched missiles and drones at US allies and bases across the Gulf. Loud explosions were heard in Doha, the capital of Qatar, while Kuwait confirmed it had to shoot down incoming missiles. In Bahrain, Iranian forces targeted a military base housing US helicopters and planes, forcing the government to set off air raid sirens and tell citizens to take shelter.
Both sides are now trading heavy threats over the region’s infrastructure. An Iranian military spokesperson warned that if the US hits Iran’s power plants or bridges, then every power grid and fuel facility across the entire Gulf will become a target for them to destroy. Iran’s top negotiator, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, added that the peace deal means nothing if the rules are not being followed.
In Washington, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said that Donald Trump is still open to talking peace. However, she made it clear that the US will hold Iran responsible for breaking its promises and will not allow it to fire on ships without facing heavy consequences. Donald Trump had previously warned that things would get much worse for Iran if they did not return to the negotiating table.
Neighbouring countries are trying hard to stop a full-scale war. Pakistan, which helped set up the peace deal last month, has asked both sides to stop shooting and start talking again. But with warships and missiles blocking the world’s most critical oil route, experts worry that a long shutdown could soon cause a severe global fuel crisis.
