Iran Threatens Strait of Hormuz
Iran's military vowed to target any US/Israeli ships in the Strait of Hormuz, though the strait remains open. Their UN Ambassador accused the US/Israel of "war crimes and crimes against humanity" while missiles also struck Ghana's UN peacekeeping HQ in Lebanon, wounding two peacekeepers.
The Strait of Hormuz, a critical channel for about 20% of the world's oil supply, has seen a near-total collapse in commercial shipping traffic. Data from the Joint Maritime Information Center shows that vessel transits have plummeted to single-digit levels, a drop of over 90%, following threats of attack and widespread electronic interference. While not a formal legal closure, the situation has created a "near-total temporary pause" in routine commercial traffic. In response to the disruption and the withdrawal of maritime reinsurance, the United States has announced a plan to provide up to $20 billion in reinsurance coverage to restore confidence in shipping through the volatile region. The move aims to get oil, liquefied natural gas, and other essential goods flowing again. Some tankers have reportedly continued their voyages under AIS (Automatic Identification System) blackouts to avoid detection. The strike on the Ghanaian peacekeepers' headquarters occurred during an exchange of fire between Israeli forces and Hezbollah. Two missiles struck the base, completely destroying the officers' mess facility. Ghana's military reported that two of its soldiers were critically injured and another was left traumatized by the attack. Ghana, one of the largest troop contributors to the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) with over 850 peacekeepers, has formally protested the incident at the United Nations headquarters in New York. The Lebanese president has publicly accused Israel of carrying out the attack that targeted the UNIFIL base. Iran's accusations of "war crimes" at the UN stem from recent joint U.S.-Israeli military strikes on Iran. The Iranian ambassador specifically cited an attack on a girls' school in Minab that reportedly killed 168 people, the vast majority of whom were young students. The United Nations has called for a "prompt, impartial and thorough investigation" into the deadly school strike, labeling the attack as "absolutely horrific." UN officials have stated that if the attacks were found to be directed against civilians, they could amount to serious violations of international humanitarian law.
