US military strikes Iran for seventh consecutive night – ship traffic in Strait of Hormuz collapses

Iranian media reported that bridges, an airport, and maritime infrastructure were also damaged in the strikes. Iran's UN ambassador declared that US attacks on civilian infrastructure constitute war crimes. A senior advisor to Iran's Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, warned on Iranian state television: "Der Iran werde sich nicht mehr mit Gegenangriffen begnügen, und keine Grenze werde sicher sein, wenn die US-Angriffe länger als zwei oder drei Tage andauern".

Ship traffic drops to record low

The direct military consequences are accompanied by a drastic development on one of the world's most important sea lanes. According to data from provider Kpler on Friday, only eight ships passed through the strait on Thursday. On Wednesday, there had been 15 transits. Before the war began in late February, more than 100 ships on average crossed the Strait of Hormuz daily. This represents the lowest level in three weeks, according to a post by Kpler on the platform X. Two weeks earlier, the number of transits had still stood at 48.

Following the renewed mutual strikes between the US and Iran, ship traffic in the Strait of Hormuz has once again nearly come to a halt. The strait is considered one of the central routes for global oil transport; a sustained collapse would have immediate effects on energy supply and the world economy.

UN and Iran react to escalation

The United Nations also reacted with concern to the development. UN Secretary-General António Guterres described attacks on civilian infrastructure in the Iran war as "inakzeptabel". His spokesman Farhan Haq said Guterres "weiterhin zutiefst besorgt über die anhaltende militärische Eskalation zwischen dem Iran und den USA".

The escalation follows the start of the war in late February. Since then, mutual strikes between Washington and Tehran have intensified again after a brief period of relative calm. The US side speaks of attacks on military targets, while Iranian authorities repeatedly report damage to civilian infrastructure.

Reports from Tehran can currently only be independently verified to a limited extent. While the Pentagon and Centcom regularly publish details on the strikes, information on damage on the Iranian side relies primarily on Iranian state media and official sources.

Background: The Strait of Hormuz

Observers see the combination of continued airstrikes and the threat from a senior advisor to the Supreme Leader as a dangerous escalation. Should Iran expand its retaliation beyond previous counterstrikes, further escalation in the region would be likely, with possible consequences for international shipping and diplomatic relations.

The Strait of Hormuz connects the Persian Gulf with the Gulf of Oman and thus with the Arabian Sea and the Indian Ocean. A permanent disruption of the route would have immediate consequences for oil and gas deliveries from the region and thus for global energy supply.

The US government has so far not publicly commented on a possible end to the strikes. Iranian authorities also gave no indication that retaliatory strikes would be halted. The situation in the region and on the sea lane so vital to global trade therefore remains tense.