Hormuz

Khamenei reportedly says enriched uranium must stay in Iran, Israel deports all flotilla activists

Twenty Iranian sailors returned home after capture by US • Two wounded soldiers see improvement after surgeries • US says removal of UN expert Albanese from sanctions list is not a policy change

Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf meets with Pakistan army chief Asim Munir, in Tehran, Iran, April 16, 2026.
 A drone view shows the Malta-flagged tanker Agios Fanourios I, an oil tanker that sailed through the Strait of Hormuz, arriving in Iraq's territorial waters off Basra, Iraq, April 17, 2026.

Iran is consolidating control of Hormuz with checkpoints, diplomatic deals, and fees

Map of Strait of Hormuz published by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps' (IRGC) Navy of the area controlled by the Iranian Armed Forces, May 4, 2026.

Iran to unveil new mechanism to manage Strait of Hormuz traffic

A boy holds an Iraqi flag near the Iranian embassy during a gathering following the announcement of a ceasefire between Iran and the United States, in Baghdad, Iraq, April 8, 2026.

Iraq sought financial assistance from International Monetary Fund as result of Iran war


US op. in Iran would expand beyond escorting vessels in Strait of Hormuz, Trump says

The ceasefire between the US and Iran is on "life support," Trump said on Monday.

US President Donald Trump listens to reporters at the White House in Washington, DC, US, May 8, 2026.

Tanker struck by drone off coast of Doha after Qatari ship breaks Hormuz blockade

Iranian lawmakers have said they are drafting a bill to formalize Iran's management of the Strait of Hormuz, with clauses including forbidding passage to vessels of "hostile states."

Vessels in the Strait of Hormuz near Bandar Abbas, Iran, May 4, 2026.

US targets Iraq oil official and militias with sanctions for aiding Iran

The U.S. imposed sanctions on Thursday on Iraq's deputy oil minister and militias over support for Iran, the Treasury Department said.

Drone view of oil tanker HELGA berthed at one of Iraq's southern offshore oil terminals near Basra as it prepares to load crude oil, becoming the second vessel to arrive since the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, April 24, 2026.

NATO's Rutte: Europeans are ensuring agreements with US on military bases are implemented

Rutte also said "more and more" European nations were pre-positioning assets such as minehunters and minesweepers close to the Gulf to be ready for a "next phase".

 NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte reacts during a press conference at a NATO summit in The Hague, Netherlands June 25, 2025.

US seeks new int'l coalition to get ships moving again in Hormuz, internal cable says

US embassies should deliver the demarche orally to partner nations by May 1, but not to Russia, China, Belarus, Cuba, and "other US adversaries," said the cable.

Ships and boats in the Strait of Hormuz, Musandam, Oman, April 29, 2026.

CENTCOM prepares 'short and powerful' wave of strikes on Iran, Trump to be briefed on plan - Axios

Another plan expected to be shared with Trump focuses on taking over part of Hormuz to reopen it to commercial shipping, the report added, noting that such an operation may involve ground forces.

CENTCOM (US Central Command) logo and U.S. flag are seen in this illustration taken April 15, 2026.

Iran uses improvised oil storage to avoid damage to oil facilities amid blockade - report

This situation stems from the fact that the Iranian extraction and refining systems can't be shut down, with Kharg Island's infrastructure at risk of failure if the oil flow is cut.

 Iranian flag with stock graph and an oil pump jack miniature model are seen in this illustration taken October 9, 2023.

Russian superyacht crosses Strait of Hormuz as shipping traffic remains muted

The US Central Command has redirected 37 vessels since a blockade was imposed on Iran on April 13, the military said on April 25.

Vessels in the Strait of Hormuz, Musandam, Oman, April 27, 2026.

Trump turns time into a weapon as Iran war shifts to economic pressure phase

NATIONAL AFFAIRS: By extending the truce while tightening the blockade, the US shifts from military force to economic attrition in a bid to shape Iran’s choices.

A billboard with a graphic design about the Strait of Hormuz on a building in Tehran, Iran, April 13, 2026

US planning renewed military action against Iranian infrastructure should talks fail - CNN

The option to strike Iranian energy infrastructure, as Trump had previously threatened, remains on the table as a way to pressure Tehran into agreeing to a deal.

An F/A-18F Super Hornet prepares to launch from the US Navy Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln in support of the Operation Epic Fury attack on Iran, February 28, 2026.