lly detained vessels transiting the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz, often citing smuggling or maritime violations. In November, Iranian forces seized another ship in the same waterway, accusing it of carrying illegal cargo. The Strait of Hormuz is one of the world’s most critical maritime chokepoints, with around 20 percent of globally traded oil and roughly a quarter of seaborne oil shipments passing through the narrow passage. Tehran has repeatedly warned that it could block the strait during periods of heightened tension. Meanwhile, the United States Navy’s Fifth Fleet, headquartered in Bahrain, maintains a continuous presence in the region to safeguard international shipping routes. Tensions between Iran and Western nations have escalated in recent years. Washington has accused Tehran of being behind limpet mine attacks on oil tankers in 2019, as well as a 2021 drone strike on an Israeli-linked vessel that killed two European crew members. These incidents followed the US withdrawal from the 2015 Iran nuclear agreement during former President Donald Trump’s first term. In July 2019, Iran seized the UK-flagged Stena Impero tanker in the Strait of Hormuz, detaining the ship and its 23 crew members for more than two months—widely viewed as retaliation for Britain’s seizure of an Iranian tanker near Gibraltar weeks earlier. More recently, Iran detained the Portuguese-flagged MSC Aries in April 2024. Relations with Tehran further deteriorated this year, culminating in a 12-day conflict between Iran and Israel in June . The confrontation included Israeli strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities, senior military commanders, and nuclear scientists, followed by Iranian missile attacks that resulted in 28 deaths in Israel .