IRAN AND US CLASH OVER STRAIT OF HORMUZ AS SHIP DAMAGED

Iran's parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf stated on Tuesday that the Strait of Hormuz would remain closed to cargo traffic until the United States lifted its blockade, released frozen Iranian assets and ended oil sanctions against Tehran. Ghalibaf said these conditions were stipulated in a memorandum of understanding between the two countries. His comments came as US President Donald Trump posted on Truth Social that there were "no talks or conversations" taking place or planned with Tehran and claimed that "all water mines have been removed or detonated" in the strategic waterway.

An unidentified projectile damaged the engine room of a ship transiting the Strait of Hormuz off the coast of Oman early on Tuesday, according to the UK Maritime Trade Operations organisation. The attack resulted in a crew casualty, though it remained unclear whether the crew member was killed or wounded. The Omani Coast Guard assisted other crew members and authorities investigated the incident. Trump claimed the US naval blockade remained "in full force and effect" and posted an image of a map depicting the Strait as a new US territory, appearing to reiterate a threat to claim sovereignty over the passage.

The Strait of Hormuz is a vital energy transit chokepoint through which substantial quantities of global oil pass. The UK Maritime Trade Operations organisation reported that no environmental damage had been recorded from the latest attack, although growing concern exists about potential oil spills into the Persian Gulf and surrounding waters from vessels damaged during transit attempts.