Iran threatened to block all oil exporting routes in the region on Wednesday in response to the U.S. maritime blockade of Iranian ports in the Strait of Hormuz.

The U.S. and Iran disputed whether Hormuz was open to ship traffic after trading strikes over the weekend.

The flare-up in US and Iranian attacks has raised further concerns over the safety of one of the world’s most important oil shipping routes.

Iran secretly moved oil tankers through the Strait of Hormuz before US threats. US strikes followed an Iranian attack on a Cyprus-flagged container ship. Iran retaliated against…

Fewer vessels traversed the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday after the US reimposed its naval blockade. Shipping data indicated a decrease in traffic, with seven vessels crossing the…