The U.S.-Iran ceasefire was already not much of a ceasefire as missiles, drones, and bombs continue exploding around the Persian Gulf.
But this week’s latest exchange of fire over who controls the Strait of Hormuz threatens to snuff out the deal just weeks after it was signed.
On Sunday, Iran launched new attacks on Kuwait and Bahrain, while threatening a “complete halt” to peace talks. It continuined a tit-for-tat cycle of retaliation after U.S. airstrikes punished the regime for targeting commercial ships with drones.
The renewed skirmishes come as Iran seeks to shut down an alternate route through the strait that’s protected by the U.S. and bypasses a Tehran-backed channel meant to normalize its control over the vital energy chokepoint.
Over the weekend, the alternate route, which hugs the Omani coast, was expanded to accommodate both inbound and outbound traffic. That further dilutes Iran’s hold over the strait—its top source of leverage.
