US operations in Strait of Hormuz meet Iranian resistance

Tensions in the Strait of Hormuz have heightened following a major US logistics and military operation to move millions of barrels of crude oil through the corridor under air, naval, and space cover. During the maneuver, US forces struck targets on Iran's Larak Island to clear the passage. Iranian forces responded by deploying rocket-launched naval mines along maritime routes.

Tehran declared that the waterway will remain closed until Washington agrees to a memorandum of understanding requiring the cessation of military operations, the lifting of petroleum sanctions, the unfreezing of Iranian assets, and an end to port blockades. Daily commercial traffic through the strait remains far below pre-war levels of 20 million barrels.

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