US escorts crude oil through Strait of Hormuz as Iran responds with sea mines

Tensions in the Strait of Hormuz have heightened following a major US operation to escort crude oil through the strategic waterway overnight. Utilizing naval, aerial, and space capabilities, the operation represented the largest oil transit through the corridor since hostilities began. During the mission, American forces targeted Iran's Larak Island to weaken Iranian capabilities against merchant shipping.

Iranian forces retaliated by placing rocket-launched sea mines in the navigation route. Iranian officials maintained that the waterway "will not be opened" unless the United States meets several key demands, including lifting petroleum sanctions, unfreezing national assets, ending port blockades, and stopping military actions. Before the war, around 20 million barrels of oil traversed the strait daily.

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