Control over the Strait of Hormuz has become the main bone of contention between the US and Iran in their prolonged conflict.

In the face of Tehran’s determination to control the strategic waterway as a critical leverage of deterrence, US President Donald Trump has declared the end of the ceasefire, a renewed blockade of Iranian ports, and a return to war to degrade Iran’s defensive capabilities further and wrest control of the strait.

Trump has also announced a completely nonviable 20% levy on each tanker that passes through the strait – a move to counter Iran’s own plan to impose tolls on commercial ships.

Given this impasse, a potential end to the conflict is nowhere in sight. This will only bring more economic pain to both protagonists, the region and the world.

Why did the ceasefire fall apart?

The irony is that before the US and Israel started attacking Iran on February 28, the Strait of Hormuz was not in dispute. It was open to free shipping, allowing for the daily flow of 20% of the world’s supply of oil and liquified natural gas, exported from the Persian Gulf countries.

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) closed the chokepoint as part of its response to the US-Israeli military campaign, causing worldwide energy shortages and threatening a global economic........

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