Hormuz attacks escalate

Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said the Strait of Hormuz was closed again on April 18, and two commercial ships reported being hit while trying to pass. (nytimes.com) The New York Times reported the attacks after Iran reversed a brief reopening of the waterway. Reuters, citing shipping sources and India’s government, said two Indian-flagged crude carriers came under fire during the transit attempt. (nytimes.com) (reuters.com) The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations logged multiple incidents near Oman on April 18, including one tanker fired on by two boats identified by the ship’s master as belonging to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, and a container ship struck by an unknown projectile about 25 nautical miles northeast of Oman. (ukmto.org) (reuters.com) The Strait of Hormuz is the narrow sea lane between Iran and Oman that links the Persian Gulf to the open ocean. Tankers carrying oil and fuel from Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates and Iran use it every day, so even short disruptions can jolt shipping and energy markets. (britannica.com) (eia.gov) This closure came after weeks of fighting tied to the U.S.-Iran war and a U.S. naval blockade of Iranian ports. The Associated Press reported that Tehran said it was reimposing the shutdown in retaliation for the blockade, after briefly allowing traffic to resume on April 17. (apnews.com) India moved quickly because the vessels were Indian-flagged and carrying crude. Reuters reported that New Delhi summoned Iran’s ambassador, Mohammad Fathali, and Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri conveyed India’s “deep concern” over the shooting. (reuters.com) The maritime pressure was matched by a law-enforcement move in the United States. Federal prosecutors said Shamim Mafi, 44, of Woodland Hills, was arrested at Los Angeles International Airport on April 18 on allegations that she brokered Iranian-made drones, bombs, bomb fuses and millions of rounds of ammunition for Sudan. (apnews.com) (usnews.com) Bill Essayli, first assistant U.S. attorney in Los Angeles, said Mafi is charged under 50 U.S.C. § 1705, the federal law used to enforce sanctions and export-control restrictions. AP reported that she was scheduled to appear in U.S. District Court in downtown Los Angeles on Monday, April 20. (apnews.com) (cbsnews.com) By Sunday, April 19, the standoff had widened further. AP reported that the United States said it had seized an Iranian-flagged cargo ship near the strait, the first such interception since the blockade began last week. (apnews.com) The immediate question is whether escorts, seizures and warnings can keep merchant traffic moving through Hormuz without more ships being hit. Saturday’s reports turned a closure order on paper into direct attacks on vessels in the channel itself. (nytimes.com) (ukmto.org)