Hormuz attacks reach wartime high
This week registered the largest wave of attacks on shipping since hostilities began on February 28. US forces destroyed five Iranian oil tankers on Tuesday, and Washington says it has hit 10 Iranian tankers over the past week; Iran claimed attacks on two US vessels and eight tankers. One seafarer was killed on the tanker Hercules Star, and the IRGC says it will announce a new maritime sanctions zone around Chabahar.
Why it matters: The escalation shows economic warfare conducted through commercial shipping, with merchant vessels becoming instruments of pressure between states.