US crude transport operation in Strait of Hormuz prompts Iranian counter-measures

Military actions in the Strait of Hormuz have intensified following a large-scale US logistics operation to move millions of barrels of crude oil through the strategic waterway. Supported by air, naval, and space assets, American forces conducted strikes on Iranian positions on Larak Island to facilitate the night-time passage. Iranian forces retaliated by deploying rocket-launched naval mines along maritime transit corridors.

Teheran reiterated that the waterway "will not be opened" until Washington agrees to a proposed memorandum of understanding. The conditions demand an end to military operations, the lifting of petroleum sanctions, the unfreezing of Iranian assets, and the termination of American port blockades. Daily traffic through the strait remains severely diminished compared to pre-war levels of 20 million barrels per day.

Sources: Expresso, Expresso das Ilhas, RTP (Rádio e Televisão de Portugal)