Mideast war transforms Strait of Hormuz into critical front line

Iran's quest to inflict maximum pain on the global economy in retaliation for US-Israeli strikes on its territory has all but shut the narrow strait through which 20 percent of global crude and LNG normally passes.

Only a tiny fraction of the vessels that used to navigate the strategic waterway have made it through, while some have ended up in flames.
Vessels hit
At least 10 oil tankers have been hit, targeted or reported attacks between the start of the conflict and midday on March 11, according to data from the UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO), the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and the Iranian authorities.

Seven were reported to the UKMTO: the Skylight, MKD Vyom, Hercules Star, Ocean Electra, Stena Imperative, Libra Trader and Sonangol Namibe.

The Revolutionary Guards, the ideological arm of the Iranian military, claimed drone strikes on three other tankers: the Athe Nova, the Prima and the Louis P. AFP was not in a position to independently verify these claims.

Four bulk carriers, three container ships, a tugboat, an oil drilling vessel and a cargo ship also reported explosions, strikes or suspicious activity in the area to UKMTO.

Thailand's navy said its bulk carrier, the Mayuree Naree, was attacked while transiting the strait. Oman's navy rescued 20 crew members, but efforts were underway to find three more.

The Revolutionary Guards claimed the attack on Wednesday, and also said they had struck a Liberia-flagged vessel.

Provisional figures from the IMO show that at least six sailors and a port worker were killed, and one sailor was still reported missing as of Wednesday.
Commercial links
"Some affected vessels and offshore assets have potential Western commercial associations" including US and British links, according to the Western-led Joint Maritime Information Center (JMIC).

"However, multiple attacks have involved vessels with no confirmed affiliation to US or Israeli ownership, indicating that current strike patterns extend beyond narrowly defined Western targets," JMIC said.
'Burn any ship'
Iranian officials have issued contradictory statements regarding the Strait of Hormuz since the war's outbreak.

Early last week, a Revolutionary Guards general threatened to "burn any ship" attempting to cross the strait and to block all oil exports from the Gulf.

But three days later, foreign minister Abbas Araghchi said Iran had "no intention" of closing the passage.

And on Wednesday, IRGC naval commander Alireza Tangsiri said in a social media post that "any vessel intending to pass must get permission from Iran".

Separately, the Iranian military's operational command declared on state television that any vessel that belongs to the United States, Israel or their allies would be considered a legitimate target and repeated a warning that it would "not allow a single litre of oil to transit" the strait.
Mine-layers destroyed
The Pentagon said Tuesday that US forces had carried out strikes that destroyed 16 mine-laying vessels that could have been used to block the strait, but attacks with drones or missiles continued on Wednesday with at least three ships hit.

"If for any reason mines were placed, and they are not removed forthwith, the military consequences to Iran will be at a level never seen before," US President Donald Trump posted on social media.

France's President Emmanuel Macron, whose country is current president of the Group of Seven advanced economies, on Wednesday urged other G7 leaders to act to restore navigation in the Strait of Hormuz "as soon as possible".