US Threatens Indefinite Blockade of Iran After Tanker Attack
The standoff over the Strait of Hormuz escalated sharply, with the United States saying it could sustain an “indefinite” naval blockade of Iran after the UAE accused Tehran of a drone attack on two of its tankers. Saudi Arabia announced a 13-nation Red Sea defence alliance in response, and the Arab League condemned Iran, which has not commented on the attack. Oil climbed towards $88 a barrel, its strongest week in months.
The rapid hardening of positions — an American blockade threat, a new Gulf military bloc, a chorus of Arab condemnation — marks the most dangerous turn yet in a confrontation centred on the waterway through which about a fifth of the world’s oil passes. That Gulf states have moved to coordinate their defences reflects how exposed they feel, while Washington’s talk of an open-ended blockade raises the stakes of any miscalculation at sea. Iran, which has vowed to keep the strait shut until its demands are met, has neither claimed nor denied the tanker attack, leaving its next move uncertain. Every step tightens the squeeze on global oil supply, and prices have risen accordingly. Watch whether Iran responds and whether the blockade threat is acted on.