- Commercial vessel traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has seen a significant reduction since Sunday evening, with no ships broadcasting their location having successfully navigated the vital shipping route amidst escalating regional tensions.
- Iran’s Persian Gulf Strait Authority (PGSA) announced that transit through the strait is currently unfeasible, directly attributing this to what it described as 'illegal movements of the United States military forces in the region'.
- The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) had previously declared the waterway closed after striking a vessel, a stance that contrasts with Donald Trump's insistence that the strait remains open for commercial traffic.
- This disruption follows a week of heightened conflict, including Iranian attacks on three commercial vessels and subsequent retaliatory strikes by the US on Tehran, leading to concerns over the global economy and oil supply.
- Both Nato chief Mark Rutte and French president Emmanuel Macron have publicly supported the US strikes, asserting that Iran's actions constituted a clear violation of an interim ceasefire agreement designed to ensure safe passage.
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