Iran has claimed the Strait of Hormuz is closed after a surge of attacks on commercial vessels since late February, while the U.S. military says it destroyed Iranian mine-laying boats near the vital oil chokepoint—an escalation that has heightened fears of prolonged disruption to energy and trade flows.
Iran has claimed it has “formally closed” the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow maritime corridor between Iran and Oman that is widely regarded as one of the world’s most important energy chokepoints. Analysts and maritime advisories, however, have emphasized that there has been no internationally recognized legal closure, even as traffic has sharply slowed due to threats, insurance concerns, and perceived risk to crews and vessels.
The Daily Wire opinion piece by Behnam Ben Taleblu reported that the strait is about 21 miles wide at its narrowest point and that roughly 20% of the world’s oil transits the waterway daily. The same piece said three additional vessels were struck on Wednesday by what it described as “unknown projectiles”: the Thai-flagged Mayuree Naree, the Japanese ONE Majesty, and the Marshall Islands-flagged Star Gwyneth. It said the latest incidents brought the total number of attacked vessels since February 28 to at least 14.
According to the Daily Wire, Iran’s top security official described the strait as one that would be “a strait of peace and prosperity for all, or a strait of defeat and suffering for warmongers,” while Iranian officials warned they would not allow oil to pass for the benefit of the United States or its allies.
U.S. Central Command said it moved quickly against what it described as a mine-laying threat, reporting that U.S. forces destroyed 16 Iranian minelayers on Tuesday. The Daily Wire account also said President Donald Trump told reporters the number destroyed had risen to 28 by Wednesday, and quoted him characterizing Iran’s conventional navy as being “at the bottom of the sea,” while suggesting U.S. escorts for commercial shipping could be considered.
The Daily Wire article compared the moment to the 1980s “Tanker War,” when attacks on Gulf shipping drew U.S. naval involvement, including Operation Earnest Will and the 1988 U.S. strike operation Praying Mantis. The piece argued that Iran’s remaining risk to maritime traffic would likely come less from conventional surface ships than from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ fast attack craft and speedboats, which could be used for asymmetric tactics such as rapid mine-laying.
The broader situation has increased market and security anxiety around the Gulf, with shipping companies weighing whether transits can be conducted safely and at what cost. Officials and analysts have warned that restoring confidence in passage through the strait would depend on reducing attack risks and clarifying whether convoying or other protective measures will be used.
