The United States and Iran have recently entered into another military confrontation, with both sides launching attacks against each other, causing the already stalled peace negotiations to reach a deadlock. US President Donald Trump announced the reimposition of a blockade on the Strait of Hormuz, preventing ships from entering and leaving Iranian ports. This marks the second time the US has taken such action, with the previous blockade only lifted in mid-June this year.
On July 14, the US military carried out airstrikes against Iran for the fourth consecutive day and reinstated the naval blockade. The US Central Command said the operation aimed to weaken Iran’s ability to attack commercial shipping. The Strait of Hormuz is a major global energy transport route connecting the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman, with a significant amount of global oil and natural gas shipments passing through the area. Iran has previously been accused of attacking civilian vessels in the region on multiple occasions.
Iranian state media reported explosions in Bandar Abbas and Qeshm Island near the Strait of Hormuz. Iranian officials criticised the US decision to restore the blockade, saying it had undermined the arrangements previously reached between both sides to achieve a ceasefire and resume negotiations.
Meanwhile, Trump withdrew his earlier plan to impose a 20% “United States Reimbursement Fee” on ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz, replacing it with trade and investment agreements with Gulf countries. However, the US continues to maintain the naval blockade on Iranian ports.
In addition, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said it had launched attacks against US allies including Bahrain and Jordan, warning that any Gulf country assisting the US would be considered an “act of war”. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also warned that Iran would face a strong response if it attacked Israel.
Commentary
The continued escalation of military actions between the US and Iran has further narrowed the space for diplomatic negotiations. When one side uses airstrikes and blockades as tools for negotiation, the other side may respond with retaliatory actions, creating a vicious cycle of attempting to achieve security through force. This approach not only increases the risk of miscalculation but could also expand the regional conflict to other US allies.
The root causes of long-term instability in the Middle East cannot be resolved through military power alone. A strategy of destroying energy and transport infrastructure to force negotiations is unlikely to resolve diplomatic disagreements and may further intensify regional instability. Genuine stability requires diplomatic dialogue, mutual trust and multilateral negotiations. If the United States and Iran continue to pressure each other through hardline approaches, peace will only become more distant.