The US military’s attack on Lark Island near the Strait of Hormuz and Iran’s retaliation against American bases in Jordan and the United Arab Emirates heightened tensions. In an article published by CNN, former US Middle East Coordinator Brett McGurk stated that the war, which began on February 28, had entered its fourth phase following the April 7 ceasefire and the June 17 agreement. Although Iran’s resistance and its largely halting trade in the Strait strengthened the perception that “Iran won,” McGurk argued that economic pressure was bearing down on Tehran due to the US blockade and sanctions. While global oil flows reached approximately two-thirds of their prewar levels, the IMF expects Iran’s economy to shrink by more than 5% this year and inflation to approach 70%. McGurk said Tehran must abandon its claims over the Strait of Hormuz and its nuclear enrichment program. Iran warned ships that failed to comply with transit rules. It announced that a supertanker attempting to pass illegally through the Strait of Hormuz had caught fire after striking two naval mines.
Background
Iran is not a new name in the FikirPilot archive: we published a news article mentioning the name in the past 90 days; that article is dated August 26, 2026.