Strait of hormuz

Voices from the Arab press: The Red Sea, redrawing the war map

A weekly selection of opinions and analyses from the Arab media around the world.

SATELLITE VIEW shows vehicles at an entrance to Pickaxe Mountain tunnels, near Natanz nuclear facility, in Iran, June 21.
A vessel in the Strait of Hormuz, as seen from Musandam, Oman, July 16, 2026

UKMTO reports two tanker incidents off Oman as Kuwait says it intercepts Iranian drones

An Iranian flag flies at half-mast at the Pakistan-Iran border crossing at Taftan, Balochistan province on March 1, 2026 after the death of Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei amid US-Israel strikes; Illustrative.

Israel, US consider land blockade against Iran to increase economic isolation - report

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu with Evangelical Christian leaders in Washington DC

Netanyahu's diplomatic victories during his Washington visit come with expiration dates - analysis


Trump says US will strike Iranian power plants, bridges next week if no deal reached

Trump added that he "doesn't like the idea" of charging a fee in the Strait of Hormuz, noting that Iran prefers to "spend a lot of money in the United States."

US President Donald Trump looks on after signing an executive order to drastically shrink two national monuments in Utah, paving the way for fossil fuel extraction and mining, at the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC, on July 13, 2026.

US issues general license for wind-down activities in Hormuz as new Iran sanctions imposed

According to the license, wind-down operations are permitted until September 12, and any payments made under the license must be made via specific protocols within the US.

This frame grab taken from AFPTV video footage on July 12, 2026 shows a cargo ship anchoring near the Strait of Hormuz off the eastern coast of the United Arab Emirates at Khor Fakkan.

Strait of Hormuz escalation pushing Iran to 'run faster toward a nuclear bomb,' expert warns

According to INSS Iran expert Ben Sabti, the regime's very survival gives the leadership a sense of victory. The central power mechanisms continue to function. 

Damage from interceptions from the latest barrage from Iran, March 19, 2026

After Strait of Hormuz, Iran turns to Bab el-Mandeb as new pressure point - analysis

Having choked off shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, Iran is now using the Houthis to extend its threat to global trade and energy supplies beyond the Persian Gulf.

Armed Yemeni supporters of the Iran-backed Houthi terrorist organization brandish their weapons during a protest against US strikes on Iran in Sanaa on July 10, 2026.

Trump wants to impose fees for Strait of Hormuz transit just like Iran: Is that legal? - explainer

US President Donald Trump claimed that the US would impose a 20% tariff on cargo shipped through the Strait of Hormuz amid a dispute over Tehran's efforts to maintain control of the waterway.

US President Donald Trump reacts as he speaks to the media with US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent behind him, on the day of a NATO leaders' summit in Ankara, Turkey, July 8, 2026.

‘I want to be reimbursed’: How will Gulf nations receive Trump’s push for protection payments?

“Trump is transactional, always looking for where the money is. He's a businessman; he admits it, and he's not ashamed of it; he's proud of it. The Gulf States understood that from the beginning."

US President Donald Trump speaks at the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), in front of U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, May 14, 2025.

Iran's attacks on Emirati tankers leaves Gulf united against Islamic regime - analysis

Gulf solidarity is now emerging in an even larger way than before. While some countries want an agreement that will end the fighting, they are also outraged by Iran’s new attacks.

The VLCC Mobassa B (previously named Front Forth), one of the two tankers which the UAE defense ministry said was struck by Iranian cruise missiles while transiting the Strait of Hormuz, seen in Rotterdam, Netherlands, August 18, 2024

India, New Zealand summon Iranian diplomats in wake of attacks in Strait of Hormuz

India summoned Iran's representatives in Delhi after Iran had struck two ships carrying a total of 30 Indian sailors, the External Affairs Ministry announced.

This frame grab taken from AFPTV video footage on July 12, 2026 shows a cargo ship anchoring near the Strait of Hormuz off the eastern coast of the United Arab Emirates at Khor Fakkan.

Iranian strikes reported across region as Trump threatens to strike power plants, bridges

US carries out fresh round of strikes in Iran • CENTCOM reinstates blockade in Strait of Hormuz • Trump requests Israel to pull out of Syria, Lebanon

A US Air Force F-35A stealth fighter jet is refueled over the Middle East, July 12, 2026.

One killed as Iran strikes UAE, UK tankers in Strait of Hormuz, targets US base in Jordan

The UAE Defense Ministry said the country retained its full right to respond and take all necessary measures to protect its sovereignty and security.

Vessels at the Strait of Hormuz, as seen from Musandam, Oman, June 18, 2026