TEHRAN — Explosions were reported in the Strait of Hormuz near southern Iran's Qeshm Island, according to Iranian media, hours after U.S. President Donald Trump rejected Iran's diplomatic proposal to reopen the critical waterway. The reports indicated multiple antiship missiles and drones were fired at vessels transiting the strait, which Tehran maintains is closed to ships not coordinating with Iranian authorities.
Iranian authorities did not confirm any specific attacks in the Strait of Hormuz on that day. Shipping has continued to face attacks in the waters, including an incident last week involving an Indian cargo ship that resulted in the death of a sailor.
The Islamic new Guard Corps released video on Sunday afternoon of what it described as a second U.S. underwater drone seized this month. Iran has issued instructions for shipping companies to use a temporary route approved by Iranian authorities and pay associated fees.
Tehran has stated that the Strait of Hormuz will not fully reopen until the U.S. blockade on Iranian ports ends. On Saturday, Iran's Persian Gulf Strait Authority announced it would blacklist any shipping charterer company that instructs crews to use routes it deems unauthorized.
The Authority also published what it characterized as an apology from an unnamed shipowner blaming commercial pressure from its charterer for attempting to pass through the strait via an unapproved route.
Washington maintains that its warships are successfully guiding oil tankers out of the strait through a different route. U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright told Fox News on Sunday that the running average of crude oil in transit was nearly 13 million barrels per day. A Sept. 19 operational update from U.S. Central Command stated that its forces had facilitated the movement of more than one billion barrels of crude out of the Gulf over approximately two months. The U.S. military also reported redirecting 122 commercial vessels to enforce a naval blockade of Iran's ports, effectively halting all Iranian crude exports.
Tehran has accused the U.S. of disseminating false information regarding traffic through the Strait of Hormuz to project control over the strategic waterway. Shipping has experienced severe disruptions since the U.S. and Israel initiated military operations against Iran on Feb. 28.
Andreas Krieg, an associate professor at King's College London, said Iran's strategy of launching maritime attacks has extended the economic costs of the conflict beyond its borders. Krieg noted that while Iran has suffered economically from war damages, the U.S. naval blockade, and sanctions, it would be a mistake to assume that reaching an economic threshold would lead to submission. Krieg suggested Iran's next move would likely aim to increase economic pressure on the Gulf region rather than absorb further American pressure, potentially through more aggressive vessel interdictions in Hormuz and attacks on energy infrastructure.
