U.S. Rejects Iran’s Claim of Strait of Hormuz Closure as Gulf Conflict Escalates
The United States military on Wednesday night dismissed Iran’s claim that the Strait of Hormuz had been closed to all traffic, as hostilities between Washington and Tehran entered a new and more dangerous phase. In a post on social media, U.S. Central Command said commercial ships were still transiting the vital chokepoint, contradicting an earlier statement from Iran’s armed forces that any vessels attempting passage would be targeted.
The denial came hours after U.S. forces launched what they described as “self-defense strikes” against Iranian facilities, including ammunition depots and command centers. President Donald Trump warned that Tehran would “pay the price” for refusing a peace deal, while Iran’s Revolutionary Guard retaliated by firing ballistic missiles at an American base in Jordan and targeting U.S. positions in Kuwait and Bahrain.
The Strait of Hormuz, through which about one-fifth of the world’s oil passes, has seen traffic slow dramatically since the war between the U.S. and Iran reignited in early April, following a brief ceasefire. Trump earlier this week claimed a “secret mission” had helped move 100 million barrels of oil through the strait, but analysts say the closure threat—even if unfulfilled—already risks spiking global energy prices and disrupting supply chains.
In a separate development that adds a diplomatic dimension to the crisis, India summoned a senior U.S. diplomat in New Delhi to lodge a “strong protest” after three Indian mariners were killed aboard a tanker struck by American forces. The U.S. military said the vessel, the Palau-flagged Settebello, was targeted for violating the U.S. blockade of Iranian ports by attempting to transport Iranian oil. Two other Indian-crewed ships have been hit in recent days, raising fears among maritime nations about the safety of commercial crews.
India’s Minister of Ports, Shipping & Waterways, Sarbananda Sonowal, confirmed the deaths in a statement, calling it “a profound loss to our maritime family.” The U.S. Central Command said it fired Hellfire missiles into the engine room of the Settebello after the crew ignored warnings—a tactic that appears to mark the first time U.S. strikes have killed commercial seafarers since the conflict began.
Meanwhile, diplomatic efforts by Qatar and Pakistan pressed on despite the escalation. A Qatari negotiating team returned to Doha after late-night meetings in Tehran, according to a Qatari official. Pakistan’s foreign ministry said its leaders remained engaged in mediation for a “negotiated settlement,” though spokesman Tahir Andrabi acknowledged, “It is hard to be an optimist in the new exchange of hostilities.”
Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps said it launched 12 ballistic missiles at the Al-Azraq Air Base in Jordan, claiming to have destroyed the facility and a number of fighter jets. The Jordanian military said it intercepted 20 Iranian missiles, with no injuries reported from falling debris. In Bahrain, an 11-year-old girl was slightly injured by debris from a downed Iranian drone, the interior ministry reported.
The tit-for-tat strikes underscore how the fragile ceasefire brokered in early April has unravelled. The U.S. blockade of Iranian ports has tightened, and Iran’s retaliation—targeting not just American forces but also regional allies—threatens to draw more countries into the confrontation. Kuwait and Bahrain both activated air defense systems Thursday as Iranian missiles rained down.
Earlier Thursday, Iran’s state-aligned Mehr news agency reported that U.S. forces struck an Iranian cargo dhow in the Gulf of Oman, with five crew members rescued by nearby vessels. The attacks come amid what analysts describe as the most serious military confrontation between the U.S. and Iran since the 2019-2020 tanker wars in the Persian Gulf.
“The risk of miscalculation is enormous,” said a former U.S. diplomat who tracks Gulf security. “Every strike on a commercial vessel, every intercepted missile, narrows the room for diplomacy.”