Attacks nearly halt Hormuz Strait traffic, US threatens more pressure

**LONDON/PANAMA CITY** — Transit through the Strait of Hormuz appeared to have nearly halted on August 14 following attacks on two additional vessels, as the United States stated it has the military capability to maintain an indefinite naval blockade of Iran.

A senior Iranian source stated on August 12 that negotiations to build upon a June agreement to end the war had stalled. Following the breakdown of the renewed ceasefire, Iran resumed targeting vessels it accused of attempting to pass through the strait without authorization.

The United Arab Emirates state news agency, WAM, reported that two vessels belonging to the state-owned Abu Dhabi National Oil Company were attacked on the evening of August 13 while navigating the Strait of Hormuz. The UAE government blamed Iran for the attacks, to which Iran did not immediately respond. Bahrain and Kuwait subsequently issued statements strongly condemning the attack.

Ship-tracking company Kpler recorded nine vessels transiting the narrow waterway on August 13. While this was an increase from five vessels the previous day, it remained below the August daily average of 12 crossings.

Ship-tracking data showed no visible vessel crossings early on August 14. Although ships can travel undetected by switching off transponders, traffic remained far below the pre-war volume of more than 130 daily crossings recorded before the conflict launched by the United States and Israel against Iran in February.

Torbjorn Solvedt, principal Middle East analyst at risk intelligence firm Verisk Maplecroft, noted that the strait remains a primary source of leverage for Tehran. “Alongside the threat to energy infrastructure in the region, Iran’s ability to restrict shipping through the strait is its main source of leverage in negotiations,” Solvedt said.

In response, the United States has sustained a naval blockade that has caused severe economic damage to Iran. U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told reporters that the military possesses sufficient resources to rotate ships and enforce the blockade indefinitely.

U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent added that Washington is preparing to escalate financial pressure, stating that new economic measures will be announced the following week. “Watch this space for more announcements coming next week because we are going to apply measures like have never been seen in the history of economic isolation on a country,” Bessent said during an interview on Newsmax’s “Rob Schmitt Tonight.”

The ongoing conflict has generated domestic political pressure for U.S. President Donald Trump, as the war faces public unpopularity and rising fuel prices negatively impact his approval ratings ahead of the November midterm elections.

Amid supply uncertainties, Asian nations have worked to secure future energy imports. India’s reliance on Russian crude reached a record high in July, while Asian refineries purchased U.S. crude this week.

President Trump has repeatedly asserted that the United States maintains “total control” over the Strait of Hormuz, which handled roughly one-fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas supplies prior to the war. Iranian officials have rejected this claim.

Tehran has stated that normal shipping will not resume until its conditions are met, including the lifting of economic sanctions and the release of frozen foreign assets. On August 13, an Iranian parliamentary committee approved a plan that would prohibit assets and equipment belonging to the United States, Israel, and other nations deemed “hostile” from moving through the waterway, according to the semi-official Tasnim news agency.

Article source: iranherald.com | Image credit: The New York Times