remains installed at the epicenter of international tension. In the last few hours, the situation has escalated with new attacks on ships, direct warnings from Iran to the United States and the announcement of a large US military deployment to escort ships trapped in the area.
The latest incident occurred this Sunday night, when an oil tanker was hit by “an unknown projectile” in waters near the United Arab Emirates. It is the second attack in less than 24 hours, after hours before several speedboats attacked another ship in the same maritime corridor.
Chain attacks
The incidents confirm that, despite the ceasefire in force for three weeks, the risk in Hormuz remains extreme. The area, through which nearly 20% of the world’s oil circulates, remains under a double blockade: in response to the attacks received and the United States intercepts ships linked to Tehran.
Since the start of the conflict, the British maritime agency has recorded dozens of incidents, many of them with “suspicious activities” or direct attacks on vessels.
Trump activates “Project Freedom”
In this context, he has announced a movement of great significance: andhe launch of “Project Freedom”, a military operation to escort ships trapped in the strait.
The deployment is of enormous magnitude: More than 100 aircraft, destroyers, drones and 15,000 soldiers will participate in the mission, which starts immediately. The objective, according to Washington, is to allow the safe departure of ships from countries that “have nothing to do with the conflict.”
Trump has defended the initiative as a “humanitarian gesture” and has assured that many ships are in a critical situation, with a shortage of food and supplies for their crews.
Iran issues a direct warning
It hasn’t been long in coming. Iranian officials have made clear that any US intervention in the strait will be considered a “violation of the ceasefire.”
Iran insists that control of the strait responds to a new “maritime regime” and the operation announced by Washington is frontally rejected, raising the risk of a direct clash between both powers.
Open negotiations… but with maximum tension
Paradoxically, this escalation occurs in parallel with diplomatic contacts between both countries. Trump has assured that the talks with Iran are going “very well” and has spoken of progress, although he continues to doubt whether the peace plan proposed by Tehran is acceptable.
Iran, for its part, has already received the US response to its 14-point proposal and is analyzing it, which maintains Negotiation options open.
An increasingly fragile balance
The result is a scenario of maximum uncertainty: While a possible agreement is being negotiated, the terrain is filled with signs of growing tension.
Attacks on ships, military warnings and an unprecedented deployment in one of the planet’s energy arteries draw an increasingly unstable balance… where any incident can change everything in a matter of hours.
