The US Navy has reportedly refused nearly daily requests from the shipping industry for military escorts through the Strait of Hormuz, citing high risk of attacks. This comes despite President Donald Trump‘s repeated assurances that the strait is “in great shape” and that Iranian threats have been largely neutralized.
On Wednesday morning alone, three cargo ships were struck with projectiles, Al Jazeera reports. The situation has grown increasingly dangerous since the US and Israel began bombing Iran 11 days ago. Iran, facing severe economic pressure from these bombings, is leveraging its proximity to the strait, through which 20% of the world’s oil flows.
