Is the fragile Iran war ceasefire over? It would appear so, with American and Iranian forces exchanging fire in the Strait of Hormuz. The renewed clashes follow US President Donald Trump’s launch of ‘Operation Freedom’, which aims to use the US military to escort stranded ships out of the critical waterway. Trump said American forces had hit seven Iranian small boats, with the US military claiming to have intercepted cruise missiles and drones launched by Tehran.

Trump earlier warned that Iranian forces would be ‘blown off the face of the Earth’ if they targeted US ships in the strait or the Persian Gulf. Tehran says it fired ‘warning shots’ at US warships, and said it would attack any foreign force that tried to enter the strait. The Iranians also launched fresh missile attacks on the United Arab Emirates (UAE) for the first time since the ceasefire began in early April. The UAE said its air defences ‘engaged’ 19 Iranian missiles and drones, and accused Iran of attacking the Fujairah oil industry zone, one of the largest oil storage facilities in the Middle East.

Control of the Strait of Hormuz remains a critical factor in this conflict because it is the main supply route for shipping crude to the........

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